(…continued) You have just heard the stories of two people. Each of you also has a story. I don’t know where any of you are at on all of this, but this much I do know– you are invited, by God, into his kingdom, his kingdom which begins now, and lasts forever. He has given you this life in the first place, and he’d like you to be with him forever. The kingdom of heaven is like a party to which everybody gets invited. If you don’t know that or never heard it before, hear it now: you are invited. Or maybe you have heard it before, but you have not been paying much attention to Jesus; perhaps you have been neglecting the spiritual side of your life. Jesus says, come on back; the invitation is still there for you. And even if you have heard it, and have been on board, you have maybe wondered if it was really for you. If so, hear again the words of the parable; the king, King Jesus, says ‘tell everyone to come— the good and the bad, the blind and the lame, the grateful and the greedy, the content and the restless, rich and poor, Republican and Democrat, young and old, gay and straight, black and white and another other color, the generous and the stingy, the silly and the serious, the good-natured and the ornery, the thin and the chubby; have I left any of you out? In the name of Jesus, I invite you, each of you, to his kingdom.
Of course, God wants our lives to be holy and obedient and lived in accordance with his Word and command, and we must be willing to listen to God’s Word on that, too. God accepts you as you are, but God will not want you to stay as you are. God wants you to grow in faith and strength and maturity and obedience and confidence. God wants to change you into a better you, and you may or may not want all of those changes. But we cannot just pick out the parts we like, and ignore the rest. Even within this otherwise nice story, there is a word of judgment and wrath upon those who ignore the king and his invitation and his command. But that has to be another topic for another day. For now, just hear this word; you are invited. That is where God wants to start with you. Just don’t say no, don’t refuse, and don’t be like those in the parable who paid no attention. Just say yes to the invitation. It is for you. Forgiveness, the presence of God now, and life forever in his perfect heavenly home; who would want to say ‘No’ to an offer like that?
One more story; this one from Numbers chapter 10. Moses had just left Mt. Sinai with the Hebrews, in order to continue their journey to the promised land. On the way, they pass through a place in the desert where Moses had lived for 40 years, where he met and married his wife, and where he and his wife raised their family. It was in that place that God had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and from there, sent him back to Egypt to free those in bondage. Now, with all the freed slaves following behind, Moses stopped in at the old home area to visit his in-laws. That is where I will pick up the story as written in Numbers 10:29: “Now Moses, said to Hobab, the son of 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, Hobab, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to us.” There is the invitation: “Come on along, Hobab; God is with us, and we will do you good. Come on along.”
How was the invitation received? Hobab replied, “No, I will not go. I am sticking with my own land and my own people.” That is how my invitations have often been received– with a NO. Jesus heard a lot of that too. Then, Moses asked again (v. 31): “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness and you can be our eyes. And if you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.” We need you Hobab, Moses said, you can help us in our journey through the desert; and you need us, we can help you in your journey to God. According to later passages, Hobab did agree to go along, and they set out together. Moses had a simple, but nice little invitation: “Come on along, Hobab; we’ll do you good.”
This gathering, for now called New Prague Lutheran Church, is also issuing an invitation to anyone and everyone. They are starting something new here and they are saying the same thing as Moses; “Come on along; we’ll do you good.” And they say that not because they are so good, but because, like Moses, they want to share with you whatever good things God has given them.
They will do that by faithfully proclaiming God’s Word, which will here be respected, honored, and cherished; as the authority, source, and guide for faith. They will take God at his Word, and encourage all to hear it, believe it, and obey it– when it is pleasant and pleasing, and, when it is not pleasant and pleasing. This is God’s Word, after all, and without that Word, we are nothing. It is not for us to put ourselves above that Word. “These are not just idle words,” said Moses in another place, “these words are your very life.”
So come on along Hobab, or whatever your name is. You have always been invited to believe in Jesus. Today, you are also invited to New Prague Lutheran Church. And that is important to you if and only if they can help you to know and believe in Jesus as the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. I do think this will be a place you will find that; but if not, then find some other place to worship the Lord and grow in your faith. But whatever you do, do not ignore or refuse this invitation of Jesus. Receiving, and not refusing, Jesus’ invitation is the most important thing you will ever do. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, says the Bible, now and forever. Amen.
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