An INVITATION SHOWS YOU ARE IMPORTANT AND YOU'RE INVITED

• Jesus invites the people others reject.

JESUS HAD A WAY OF INVITING PEOPLE!

LUKE 19:5-7 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."

MATTEW 4:18-19 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

LUKE 5:27-28 27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

JOHN 1:43 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

WE ARE NOT CALLED JUST TO FOLLOW

WE ARE CALLED TO FISH

ANYONE CAN DO IT

FISHERMEN KNOW THEIR FISH

FISHING REQUIRES PATIENCE

MATTHEW 4:19 , Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

IT'S FULL OF PROMISE AND PURPOSE

ROMANS 10:9-10 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

ROMANS 10:14 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

WHY DON’T WE SHARE JESUS

1. WE THINK WE CAN’T BECAUSE OF OUR IMPERFECT LIFE

2. WE ARE AFRAID WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS

JOHN 1:45-46 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Luke 7:37 “A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.”

Luke 7:38 “As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”

Luke 7:39 “When the Pharisee who had invited him [Jesus] saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.’”

Luke 7:44-48 44 Then he [Jesus] turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

MATT 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

• Pointing out women’s sins didn’t lead her away from her sins.

• Judging her for her lifestyle didn’t change her lifestyle!

• Shaming her didn’t set her free!

• (WHAT CHANGED HER? SHE’D BEEN INVITED)

"Holes by Scott Lewis

I had been in that hole for a very long time,

In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime.

The shaft was above me; I could see it quite clear,

But there's no way I ever could reach it from here.

Nor could I remember the world way up there,

So I lost all my hope and gave into despair.

I knew nothing but darkness, the floors and the walls,

Then off in the distance I heard someone call

"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter

Take rocks and old sticks and build up a fine ladder."

This had never occurred to me, had never crossed my mind,

But I started to stack all the stones I could find.

When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal,

For one way or another I'd get out of that hole.

So I soon had a ladder that was sturdy and tall

And I thought “I'll soon leave this place once and for all.”

I climbed up my ladder. It was no easy chore,

For from lifting those boulders my shoulders were sore.

I climbed on up the ladder, but soon had to stop

For my ladder stopped short--some ten feet from the top.

I climbed back down my ladder and started to cry

I'd done all I could do. I gave my best try,

And in spite of my work, in this hole I must die.

And all I could do is sit and think "Why?"

Was my ladder too short? Or my hole much too deep?

Then from way upon high came a voice, "Do not weep."

And then faith, hope, and love entered my chest

As the voice said to me that I'd done my best.

He said, "You've worked very hard, and your labors been rough,

But the ladder you’ve built is at last tall enough.

Do not despair. You have reason to hope,

Just climb up your ladder, I'll throw down my rope.

I climbed up the ladder, then climbed the cord.

When I got to the top, there stood the Lord.

I couldn't be happier, my struggle was done.

I blinked at the brightness that came from the Son.

I fell to the ground, His feet did I kiss

I cried, "What can I do to repay thee for this?"

Then He looked all about Him. There were holes in the ground

They had people inside them and were seen all around.

There were thousands of holes that were damp, dark, and deep

The Lord turned to me and said, "Feed my sheep."

Then He went on His way to help other lost souls,

And I got right to work, calling down to the holes:

"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter

Take rocks and old sticks and build up a fine ladder."

It now was my turn to spread the good word.

The most glorious message that man ever heard.

That there's one who is willing to save one and all

And we've got to be ready when he gives us the call.

He'll pull us all out of the hole that we're in

And save our souls from death and from sin.

So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope

Just build up your ladder; He'll throw down his rope.