Sit with me, the invitation

Illustrate here: Sit with me video Watch video here 

Learning and engaging our target goal this month: I am asking specific people to sit with me at church because God has positioned me to play a role in bringing them to Jesus.

Continually throughout scripture Jesus gives us three invitations.

1.      Jesus invites us, sit with Me and find rest.

Matthew 11:28 "Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

1.      Since the dawn of mankind’s history, when our Eden of euphoria became a desert of dysfunction, we have been creatures of restlessness.

1.      When we are deeply deprived of the peace that comes from God through the saving grace of Christ, we become fish out of water.

1.      All sin is disobedience to the will, purpose and law of God.

2.      Disobedience, immorality and rebellion are direct results of the restlessness of sin.

2.      This diabolical unrest has permeated the globe like a contagious disease and has become the underlying cause of domestic, community and social problems.

1.      Psychologists, schooled in the intricate workings of the mind, are confessing that psychology is helpless to solve all of the mental and nervous disturbances of people today.

2.      Sociologists, admitting that sociology cannot cope with the tremendous problems in human relationships.

3.      Political leaders point out the moral ills of the world, but none of them seem to have an answer to the desperate need for a new moral integrity that would reverse the ethical plunge that we are taking.

1.      This changeable, unsettled, transient, and fidgety spirit is due primarily to the restlessness of the human heart and its separation from Jesus Christ who is love and peace.

1.      People could find spiritual peace and physical rest by surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, in Isaiah 57:20 "But those who still reject Me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. 21 There is no peace for the wicked," says my God."

3.      The only peace we can ever experience in this life and the eternity to come is in and through Jesus Christ, nothing else will pacify, nothing else will satisfy.

1.      Every day I come in contact with utterly mixed-up, tragically confused people: rich people who are held in the grip of insecurity; intellectual people who have lost their way; strong people who live in fear of weakness and defeat.

1.      I long to take every one of them by the hand and lead them into the presence of Jesus who said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

1.      Why die of thirst when you stand on the brink of a life giving, undrainable ocean?

2.      Why starve to death when you are within arm’s length of the never ending Bread of life?

3.      Why live in a cardboard shack of spiritual misery when Christ has provided a mansion of divine peace?

1.      Hear and accept the divine invitation today: “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest!”

2.      Jesus invites us, sit with Me and be discipled.

Mark 1:17 "Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"

1.      We are saved to serve; we are redeemed to reproduce spiritually; we are rescued out of the foolishness, frustrations, and fear so that we will become rescuers ourselves.

1.      People want something to believe in, a cause to give themselves to, a flag to follow.

1.      The only cause big enough is the cause of Jesus Christ; and its flag is the blood stained body that was lifted up on to the cross of Golgotha for the redemption of the world.

1.      Partnered with God in the rescuing of the world!

Jesus challenged, John 12:26 "Anyone who wants to be My disciple must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me."

2.      Discipleship gives us the privilege of being associated with Christ intimately.

3.      And the faithful discharging of these  responsibilities invokes the approval and favor of God Himself.

2.      If we want to make an eternal difference then we have to take off our pious indifference, roll up our sleeves and get to work in the unrelenting mission field of people.

1.      Opportunities lie all around us.

2.      Our neighbors are without Christ, some of our children unsaved, uncommitted, and our colleagues still waiting to see Jesus in us.

1.      I challenge you to become an effective, efficient, evangelist.

1.      Announcing Christ's virgin birth, His perfect life, His sacrificial death and His miraculous resurrection!

Luke 9:23 "Then He said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me."

3.      Before you can follow Jesus in discipleship, the selfish, sinful “self” must be crucified, so that Christ surpasses all others in your heart and life.

John 8:31 "Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, "You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings."

1.      Disciple literally means “a learner, a student, a follower.”

1.      Salvation may be instantaneous, but discipleship must be learned from Christ Himself.

1.      We must know the Word before we can teach the Word.

2.      A true disciple of Christ will bear the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” Galatians 5:22-23

4.      People who have contact with us daily will take note that we have been with Jesus.

1.      We will radiate Christ.

1.      The secret of the Christian life is Christ in us.

3.      Jesus invites us, sit with Me in the Kingdom, domain and realm of God.

1.      Christianity is not just a hobby; it is a lifelong, eternity-long vocation.

Psalm 91:1 "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

2.      In Him we have a permanent residence, and that all of the peace, security and affection that the human heart craves is found in Him.

1.      Modern psychiatrists say that one of the basic needs of mankind is security.

Psalm 91:9 "If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go."

1.      In the midst of a thousand dangers you can sense the all-protecting presence of God Himself.

2.      Another basic need is affection.

1.      Those who “abide in Him” are the objects of God’s affection and love.

Psalm 91:14 "The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My Name."

2.      No greater demonstration of love has ever been witnessed by the world than God’s love given through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:8 "But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

3.      He loved you enough to lay down His life for you.

1.      By Christ's sacrifice upon the cross He purchased the favor of God on your behalf, now through Him you are the recipient of the grace, mercy and love of God without measure.

3.      Another basic need that will be fulfilled by our dwelling and abiding in God is the need to belong.

1.      In all three invitations we find God inviting sinful men and women to be identified with Him in His great redemptive and creative work.

3.      To the multitudes of distressed, troubled and weary He beckons, “Come unto Me … and I will give you rest.”

1.      It’s simple. It’s personal. It’s inspiring.

2.      Our church has been issued a charge to offer these three words to anyone who needs what God has to offer them.

1.      Who are you asking, believing to sit with you at church?

4.      An invitation can change someone's destination.

1.      A guy I know was going to the church where we pastored and was going through a terribly difficult time. His wife had left him, took their daughter with her and disappeared.

2.      Refused to connect with him, refused to call him, refused to sit with him and have conversation about what was going on. He lost 3 jobs was on the verge of losing another and landed in desperation one morning at the church. I made connection with him that day not realizing all that was transpiring.

3.      We exchanged phone numbers because he wanted to get a coffee, told me that this was his second time at the church and said I need to talk to some one, any one. I had no idea of the importance of the days to come.

4.      We got together to connect over lunch, he explained all that he was dealing with and going through and I assured him that I was committed to help.

1.      One evening the Spirit of God prompted me to drop by and see him. Before we did I called him, he answered but little did I realize what was going on. He was panicked, frantic and intensely emotional, I told him I was right around the corner of being at his place I told him that we could talk it out. He let me know he had a loaded gun in his hand and was getting ready to use it on himself when I called.

2.      He was asking God a thousand questions when the phone rang. To my horror he explained what was happening, I asked him to put the gun down, allow me to come in so we could talk, I'm now in your driveway.

3.      I stayed with him, I sat with him, I cried with him, I encouraged him, I ministered to him, I prayed with him, he committed his life to Christ and God began to perform miracles in his life. He started attending church regularly, his wife finally after 2 years called and connected and he was able to see his daughter again, even getting weekend visits which she started coming to church with him and as she "sat with him" God began to minister to her life.

1.      I'm trying to explain to you that when you'll commit to sit with someone, commit to pray for someone, commit to be available and present in some ones life, God will use you to do the miraculous and you'll experience the impossible.

5.      Jesus loves to run to people that take one step towards Him.

1.      God uses imperfect people in an imperfect situation to accomplish His perfect will.

1.      Bring your burdens to God and leave them there, heaven will take care of the rest!

John 1:40 "Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ"). 42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas" (or Peter which means "stone"). 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come, follow me." 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown. 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." 46 "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" "Come and see for yourself," Philip replied."

6.      Come and see for your self.

1.      Jesus works in us to work through us.

1.      Andrew brought Peter, Phillip brought Nathanael.

1.      We magnify the message, because we have experienced Christ for our selves.

1.      You may be one invite away from sparking a movement.

2.      You may be one invite away from sparking a revival!

3.      You may be one invite away from saving someones life.

2.      Sit with me, Christ's presence changes everything.

1.      His resurrection changed everything.

7.      The Bible is a book of invitations from God to mankind, urging us to become His partners in redeeming the world.

1.      I invite you to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God's Son; that He came to earth to live the sinless life that we cannot live; that He died in our place, so that we would not have to pay the penalty we deserve.

2.      I invite you to confess your past life of sin, living for ourselves and not obeying God.

3.      I invite you to admit that you are ready to trust Jesus Christ to save you.

4.      Invite Him to come into your heart, take up residence, and begin living through you.

1.      Come see for your self, Christ will give you rest, peace, forgiveness and strength.

What do you hear the Holy Spirit saying to you? 

Sit with me will you?

Matthew 28:16-20 NLT [16] "Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. [17] When they saw Him, they worshiped Him-but some of them doubted! [18] Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

In Mark 16:15 NLT

[15] And then He told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."

Illustrate here: Sit with me video https://vimeo.com/139639707

*Learning and engaging our target goal this month: I am asking specific people to sit with me at church because God has positioned me to play a role in bringing them to Jesus.

1.      Evangelism is for every Christian.

1.      Sit with me, will you?

2.      In Ephesians 4, we read about how God’s given apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists for the work of the ministry.

1.      There is a specific calling of evangelist, but every Christian is called to evangelize, share the "Good News."

1.      In todays marketing, we have learned to mistrust those who promise us good things.

2.      What does the bible means by “evangelizing?"

1.      The verb means “to announce good news”: someone who is “evangelized” is basically someone who has been “made aware, brought up to date.”

2.      Christians used the word evangelize to describe the most precious aspect of their faith: the announcement of Christ’s resurrection.

1.      Jesus didn't just come to make bad people good but to make dead people alive.

1.      Evangelize means to bear witness to a transformation within a human being: because of the resurrection of Christ, our own resurrection has already begun.

2.      So every follower of Jesus is commanded by Christ to go out and proclaim the gospel to the best of their ability, lead people to Christ, help those people get up on their feet spiritually and go on and repeat the process again and again.

1.      That’s why we call it the Great Commission and not the Great Suggestion.

1.      For many, the Great Commission is really the “Great Omission.”

1.      We don’t do it and that is more than a pity; it's a travesty.

3.      This is a command from Jesus Himself, yet, whenever you bring up the topic of evangelism people often cringe.

1.      It's been said, "There is one thing that believers and non believers have in common: they are both uptight about evangelism."

4.      When it comes to sharing the Gospel, it seems we plan for failure far more often than success.

1.      Maybe that's why statistics indicate that 95% of all Christians have never led another person to Christ.

1.      Evangelism is about helping people to belong so that they can believe.

1.      Very few people hear the gospel or show up at church without first being in relationship.

2.      Most are invited by a person they know.

5.      We are to establish a commonality with others.

"find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some." 1 Corinthians 9:22b

1.      This means bringing others into the community of faith.

2.      So the not-yet believing individual will witness how believers pray and worship.

3.      They'll be exposed to the love within the Christian community.

4.      They'll be engaged in the passionate life-giving flow of ministry to and with one another.

5.      They'll experience “God showing up” through actual miracles.

1.      In God’s time, they'll be ready to wholeheartedly commit to Jesus Christ.

1.      Sit with me is an invitation to experience life, experience Christ  together.

6.      Only when the grace of God becomes our Great Compulsion will the command of Jesus become the Great Commission.

2.      It's a sin not to share.

1.      Let me state something that may shock you, but I believe with all my heart, it's true.

1.      To not share your faith, to not tell others about Jesus Christ, is a sin.

2.      When we think of sin, we envision breaking commandments and doing wrong things—and indeed that is sinful.

3.      But the Bible speaks of both sins of commission and sins of omission.

1.      A sin of commission is doing what you should not do.

2.      A sin of omission is not doing what you should do.

1.      The Bible says, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." James 4:17

Illustrate here: Let’s say you were walking down the street and you heard people screaming. You looked in their direction and saw a house in flames. Someone then cried out, “There is a person in there!” Let me ask you, if you were to keep walking without a passing thought to those in serious danger, would that be wrong? I would hope you would at the very least call 9-1-1. Even more, you might go and try to rescue that person inside. To do nothing would be outright criminal.

4.      Yet, every day we walk by people that we know and don’t know, who are without Christ, and we don’t do a thing to help them.

1.      We don’t try to initiate a conversation about our faith; we just keep walking.

2.      And to be blunt, a fate even worse than a house fire awaits those who reject the offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

1.      It is eternal fire, weeping, gnashing of teeth and total separation from the love of God, meant only for the Devil and his angels.

5.      The last thing that God wants is to send any man or woman—deeply loved by Him and made in His very image—to this place called Hell.

1.      That is why He sent Jesus born of a virgin, to live a perfect life, to die a perfect death on the cross for our sins, and then to rise from the dead 3 days later.

2.      That is where you come in.

1.      God wants to use you to bring other people to Himself.

6.      You might protest, “God could never use someone like me!”

1.      Actually He can and He will if you will let Him.

2.      It could even happen before the day is over.

1.      God will never force you to share your faith, but He will prompt you.

2.      And when you take that step of faith, He will empower and use you.

7.      I want you to discover the miracle of being used by God.

1.      A chosen instrument used by God.

2 Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

2.      God wants to show Him self strong on your behalf.

3.      He is searching for someone who will simply say, “Use me, Lord!”

1.      Will you be that person?

8.      Many people have slipped into the mindset that evangelism is a gift that some believers have and others do not.

1.      When someone becomes reconciled to God, He always equips and sends them out to reconcile others.

1.      That’s not a gift—we all have the responsibility to take Christ to others.

3.      Evangelism makes you happy.

1.      Sharing your faith is exciting, fun and fulfilling and addicting.

Psalm 126:6 reminds us, "They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest."

Luke 15:7b "there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns (God made us, created us, we are His first, and because I am a believer, I am His forever) to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!"

2.      So, if there is joy in Heaven upon hearing the news of a salvation, there certainly should be joy in having a role in it.

1.      Next to personally knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior, the greatest joy I know of is leading others to Christ and watching them grow spiritually.

1.      It's awe inspiring to tell others about your relationship with God and explaining how they can have one too.

3.      I have found that the happiest Christians are the evangelistic ones.

4.      And I have also found that the unhappiest Christians are the judgmental kind.

1.      So busy arguing theological details that they miss out on opportunities to see God move.  

1.      Vance Havner said, “If we are too busy using our sickles on each other, we will miss the harvest!”

5.      Yes, there is a happiness, an excitement, a fulfillment that we are missing out on if we are not sharing our faith.

Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive."

1.      What's the excuse that you use?

6.      Clearly God could reach people without us, but instead He has chosen to work through us.

1.      In fact, He seems to go out of His way to find the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His divine purposes.

1.      Think of Moses, who, when called by God to speak out for Him, essentially said, “I can’t. I have a speech impediment!”

2.      When called by God to speak, Jeremiah felt he was too young.

1.      Think of those that God used who had challenges and failures in life: Noah got drunk, Abraham was old, Jacob was a liar, and David had an affair.

2.      Peter denied Christ, the disciples fell asleep while praying, Timothy had an ulcer, and Lazarus was dead!

7.      Again I ask, what’s your excuse?

1.      I’m not qualified.

2.      I'm unknowledgeable.

3.      I’m not gifted or talented.

1.      Do you want to know a little secret?

1.      You are just the person God is looking for.

1.      God loves to use people that are not necessarily self-confident.

1.      Why?

1.      Because when God does something amazing through them, He is the one who gets honored.

2 Corinthians 4:7 “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."

8.      God is not looking for ability as much as He is looking for availability.

1.      God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

Proverbs 11:25 NLT "The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

9.      God has not blessed you with all the messages you have heard in church or have read in books over the years so that you can hoard it all to yourself.

1.      Have you seen the show “hoarders?"

1.      Sometimes as Christians we can be the same way—hoarding all that God has given to us, and not sharing it with others.

2.      So let’s delete this idea that sharing our faith is something we cannot do and something that is miserable to engage in.

1.      Nothing could be further from the truth.

4.      Culture gets the wrong idea that being a Christian means our lives are perfect.

1.      They feel disconnected and unworthy.

1.      So whenever we can remind our people and those looking in that we are all in need of a Savior, it breaks down walls that keep people from Christ and the Church.

1.      God calls us to evangelize all.

2.      He invites us to invite others.

1.      C'mon sit with me.

2.      Your friends trust you when you talk about restaurants, plumbers and babysitters.

1.      That same trust gives each believer an open door to introduce others to Jesus.

2.      The church and its people must understand that no one gets through a broken world unbroken.

1.      So as we go back out throughout the week, we should connect with broken people as broken people who have met the One who restores.

1.      We should offer restoration through Christ.

1.      I don’t know your friends.

2.      You do.

3.      I can’t invite your friends.

4.      You can.

5.      And we must.

1.      Evangelism is our responsibility.

2.      You are looking for peace, sit with me.

3.      You are looking for strength, sit with me.

4.      You are looking for forgiveness, sit with me.

5.      You are looking for purpose, sit with me.

Colossians 1:28 "So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ."

2.      So, let’s put this together: the Great Commission is to preach AND teach; it is to proclaim AND then disciple.

1.      That’s the objective: lead people to Jesus AND then lead them to maturity.

3.      You should come to church with me as a matter of fact you should sit with me.

1.      God is moving in the lives of people at my church and you should come and be a part of what He is doing.

2.      I am so excited about what is happening at our church.

1.      People are being saved, baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit and being called into service.

2.      People are being healed, delivered, encouraged and inspired, it's crazy.

3.      I wish I could just tell you about it but it's something I believe you should experience for your self.

1.      I remember when someone told me about Christ, I was also hesitant and unbelieving.

1.      I was super afraid, seriously.