The Grand Invitation

Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast.

We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ.

Thanks for tuning in.

To find out more, go to awakeningchurch.com.

This morning we're finishing up our series, This Is Good.

And in a world filled with bad news in a year that's had so much sad news, don't we need some incredibly good news?

And that's what we've been talking about for the last few weeks.

It's interesting.

The New Testament writers, when they talked about the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, they called it good news.

The four biographies that we have in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John of Jesus' life are called the Gospels or the good news.

It's that word ulangellion.

It's news that makes one happy, information that causes one joy, words that bring a smile, a message that causes the heart to be sweet.

That fundamentally at the core of Christianity is not just good advice.

Like, how do I just navigate life a little bit better?

How does Jesus make my life just a little bit better?

It's fundamentally good news.

See, news is something has happened as a result of which the world's a different place.

Something happened 2,000 years ago in an obscure part of the Roman Empire.

And as a result, the world is a different place.

The life of Jesus.

The death of Jesus on the cross, which has taken away the penalty of sin.

The resurrection of Jesus, which has brought and ushered us into new life and new relationships, restored relationship with our Heavenly Father.

That event was fundamentally good news then, and it's good news today for you and for me.

And as a result, your world and my world, no matter what's going on in the world, can be fundamentally a different too.

See, the good news has the power to change your life.

The good news has the power to change this year for your life.

The good news has the power to bring purpose to your life, even in the midst of the most trying of circumstances in a no-good, lousy, crazy 2020 year.

And so we've been talking about this.

That we started with week one.

This is good, the heart of God, and his heart to welcome you home.

Week two, we talked about the healing pool, and we're all in search of something to bring wholeness and healing to our lives, and no one but Jesus will bring that to your life and to my life.

Last week we talked about the whole gospel, that it's not just about heaven when I die, which is amazing.

When our world is, you know, falling apart.

Isn't it such good news to know that this isn't the end of the story?

And yet it's about ushering heaven in on earth of being his hands and feet to a hurting and broken world.

Well, today we're going to talk about the grand invitation.

The grand invitation of the gospel.

And I what it is, is I I want it, I think it's going to address two maybe objections that you've had throughout this series.

Last week we ended with our memory verse.

We've been doing these memory verses every week.

I hope you're keeping up.

And and Jesus said in Luke, he said, Whoever wants to be my disciple.

Isn't that amazing?

I mean, we don't think about that, but how expansive that was.

How open that was.

Whoever.

Whoever wants, do you want to be my disciple?

Well, you couldn't really mean whoever, Jesus.

Not me.

I think that's one of our objections, right?

It's not me.

Whoever wants to be my disciple.

No, no, you don't know where I've been.

You don't know what I've done.

Listen, I you don't know what's been done to me.

I'm damaged goods.

You wouldn't really want me.

God, there's no way that you would want me, that you could love me.

You've maybe in this season, and COVID has been a very hard season for you, and the racial injustice and all that's happening.

Maybe where you're sitting, you feel hopeless.

Maybe you feel stuck.

Maybe you've returned to some habits and ways, or some new things have popped in that have grabbed hold of your life that you feel absolutely like a failure.

God could never want you or love you, except you.

And you're going, not me.

Whoever wants to be, well, I'm not one of those whos.

And the gospel says, yes, you.

Oh, especially you.

You know, it's interesting who Jesus hung out with.

We started our series with Jesus talking to the Pharisees who were complaining that he was hanging out with tax collectors and sinners, and he told these great stories about the heart of God.

And it wasn't just one particular instance.

This was just the heart of God.

And what we see in the life of Jesus, in the invitation to every single person, is this good news that God will use your surrendered past to accomplish his purposes.

Even you, even me.

And we pick up a story in Luke chapter 5 where once more we see a tax collector and we see an invitation of Jesus.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

If you got your Bibles, would you flip over to Luke chapter 5?

Luke 5 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 5, verse 27.

Luke 5:27

And I actually love hearing in the studio people flipping to their Bibles too with me.

I missed that sound, by the way.

Luke 5, verse 27.

Luke 5:27

And it starts uh this way.

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector.

Like he's walking around in his everyday and he sees a tax collector by the name of Levi.

You might know him as Matthew, sitting at his tax booth.

Now, for context, if we can understand in the ancient Near East, the uh role of the tax collector, or at least the category of the tax collector that is, is you put in the same bracket murders, robbers, and tax collectors.

They were in one category.

So when you saw a tax collector, you had the same thought about a tax collector that you had about a murderer or a robber.

And you looked at someone who was a traitor to the Jewish people because he was a corroborator with the Roman Empire and he was ripping off his own people for his personal gain.

This is the perspective.

And Jesus sees this tax collector, someone who's been saying, not me.

My past, my present, who I am, that whoever wants to be, not me.

And notice what Jesus says.

He doesn't see a tax collector.

What he says, follow me.

Instead of not me, he says, follow me.

You're worthy of invitation, Levi.

You're worthy.

I want you to be with me.

You're invited in.

It's the grand invitation of Jesus.

Would you follow me?

But but you don't know what I've done.

Actually, I do.

I see you.

Remember, Jesus said, I see you.

Follow me.

And then Levi got up.

It's amazing.

And left everything and follow him.

He left his business.

He he left his livelihood.

He left his source of income.

And it was such a competitive area that leaving his tax booth meant someone else would fill in that spot and he would probably never be able to go return to that profession again.

There was something so compelling about the invitation of Jesus that he said, I gotta go.

I gotta lean in.

I want to be with you because what you're offering is better than what I'm living in.

Follow me.

Left his business, his identity, his wealth, his earthly security.

Levi walked away from everything he had worked for to have what he could never earn.

Follow me, you're fully loved.

Follow me, you're fully forgiven.

Follow me, you're fully accepted and welcomed.

You're invited in.

No.

Here's what's amazing about Leaf.

When he got up and left everything, he didn't just drop his old buddies and go, I'm done.

I'm out.

In fact, what he did is he recognized I have been invited in, and I can't believe it, I thought, not me, to be invited in, to be welcomed in.

Like I've been invited into the communion of Jesus to invite others in.

And so what he's gonna do is he's gonna go to his friends who all thought, not me, we're not me's and he's gonna say, You're invited in.

Notice what he says.

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

He said, I'm gonna gather all of my friends because I've been living as if God never wanted me, God never cared about me, the way I've been, who I am, is unwanted, unworthy.

And God said, You're worthy, you're invited in, and I can't help but share it with everyone around.

It reminds me of uh 1 Peter chapter 2, where it says, For you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people of God's own possession, that you might declare the excellencies of him who's called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

Like you've been invited into the family of God.

You've been invited to follow in the ways of Jesus, to experience new life, to invite others in.

You're chosen to declare the excellencies, the praises of Jesus, who's called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Well, there's a few people that had a problem with this.

We've seen them throughout the course of our time.

It's the Pharisees, and it says the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who all belong to the sect complain to his disciples.

They didn't have guts to talk to Jesus about this, complain to his disciples, why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?

All the wrong people, all the out people, all the people that religion has said you're not worthy, you're not wanted, and you're on the out.

And Jesus answered them.

My purpose, don't miss this.

The reason I came to this planet, fully God, fully man, the Son of God, Jesus, to not call the righteous, those who think they have it all figured out, but for all the not me in the world, all the people that never felt like they're good enough, felt like they're pushed out.

Repentance.

That means turning from the way that you're going and turning and going in a new direction.

That's what Levi did.

He he was living a life that that was fundamentally broken, but he thought he had no other option.

Jesus says, I have another option, follow me.

And Levi says, I'm done with that life, I'm running after you.

That's repentance.

See, here's what's so amazing.

This is good.

God will use your surrendered past.

God will use your surrendered past to accomplish his purposes.

Did you notice Levi?

His past, tax collector, his circle of relationships, tax collectors and sinners.

And God took that surrendered past and said, I'm going to accomplish my purposes through you.

I'm going to use you as an agent of grace and healing and light.

And for some, there's some parts of your life that are messes, honestly.

And you've like thought I have to push that down.

And God's going, no, if you'll bring it into the light, and if you'll surrender it to me, that actually will be future ministry.

I actually want to take that hurt.

I want to take that pain.

I want to take that area and use that for my glory and good.

But you have to bring it into the light.

You have to surrender it to me.

You have to go, God, you have everything, and you can use everything in my life.

He won't waste that.

He'll actually leverage it for good when you surrender it to him and go, okay, that's my past.

I used to be a tax collector.

I used to be in this world.

And now I can connect with those in that world to help show them how good Jesus is for all the not-ne's.

That's the grand invitation of God.

So let me ask you, what is it in your life that presently you're going, okay, this is an area that I thought God could never use?

I'll give you a very um raw example for me that I've used many times.

In high school, I got hooked up on pornography.

It was a whole area.

It's not like I'm free from lust.

I still struggle with that, but but the bondage of that moment and those that sin is has been broken in my life.

And I gotta tell you, when I talk about it up front, there's so many guys that come to me that that past, surrender to him, God has used for his purpose to bring freedom to lots of other people as well.

But would we talk about it?

Would we bring it open and say, God, you can use everything when it's brought to you and surrendered to you?

What is it for you?

What is an area that you thought God could never use and maybe you've just kept hidden, but you need to bring it to him and go, okay, here you go, God.

And it might be the very place where God wants to do his greatest ministry through you.

Not me.

This is good.

God will use your surrendered past to accomplish his purpose.

I think the second objection is it's 2020, Ryan.

This grand invitation, that's great, and ministry and purpose.

Wow, that sounds great, but it's 2020.

This this year.

Life is on pause.

We're stuck.

We're just trying to get through this.

Literally, our world has been set on fire.

We move from not me to not now.

Life's on pause.

I can't live out my calling and my purpose.

Life's on pause.

And here's the power of the gospel and what I believe God wants to lean in because I know that there's a number of people that I talk to that are spiritually dry, that are drifting, and that have just accepted, I'm just gonna try to get through this season.

Listen to this.

This is good.

Circumstances have changed.

Your calling has not changed.

Circumstances have changed.

And let's admit that.

The circumstances of our life have changed.

You're just trying to figure out how do you work and be a homeschool parent.

How do you navigate uh the increasing complexities and what's happening in our world and the economy and the elections coming up and racial justice?

And I mean, we're just being hit by so many things, and you feel emotionally disoriented and maybe numb, and you're just going like, not now.

Circumstances have changed.

Here's the good news.

Why you are on this planet has not changed.

It may look different, but your purpose hasn't changed, and you can still live out your divine calling and purpose even now.

You're like, not now.

No, no, even now.

Even now is more important.

This is why Jesus, in his final words to his disciples, and so Matthew would have been here listening to Jesus' words.

Levi listening to Jesus' words here.

Jesus says to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Isn't that good news?

Not COVID has the authority, not the Starkmarker has the authority, not a government or an election has the authority.

Jesus has all authority.

And he will accomplish his purposes, and nothing will thwart it.

Why?

Because he is the resurrected Savior, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.

And as Jesus followers, we need to move our eyes off of our circumstances and shift our eyes to our Savior who has all authority.

And in light of that, in light of him and his grand invitation, he says, therefore, go and make disciples.

Go and invite others in.

Just as you've been invited in.

Whosoever will follow me.

Go.

Literally, that means as you're going about your day.

Like I'm not going very far.

Well, you're probably going for a walk in your neighborhood.

Disciple.

Go.

Well, I'm on Zoom every day.

Oh, that's fantastic.

So, so maybe therefore, Zoom and make disciples.

Therefore.

With your neighbors, your friends, your coworkers, your kids.

Therefore, as you go, would you live life in such a way that you would be inviting others in into the excellencies of Him and who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light?

Make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you.

See, circumstances have changed, and they're always changing, by the way.

Your calling, your why to know God and to make him known, to help someone else step into a relationship with him.

That's why when the apostle Paul is writing to Philemon, he says this says, I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith.

Why?

So that you'll have a full understanding of every good thing you have in Christ.

There's something about stepping into your calling and about beginning to share this good news with other people that it awakens, refreshes every good thing that you have in Christ.

Here's how we say it at awakening.

We exist.

Our purpose is to awaken this generation to new life.

Now, how we do that's changed.

I never intended to speak to a camera and be a TV preacher.

And I can't wait until we gather again.

But until that day comes, you guess what?

We're fulfilling our purpose as a church.

And no, COVID is going to circumvent his calling on our life.

A pandemic cannot undermine our purposes as a church, our purpose as the church, and your purpose as his child.

We exist.

Our purpose.

Would you get clear on why you exist?

You don't exist just to make it through.

You exist to make disciples.

You exist to invite others in to experience this good news.

You know, we believe our dream as a church, and this isn't hindered by this moment, is we'd be a church where daily people step into new life in Jesus.

We'd be a church that makes a tangible impact in our city through expressions of compassion.

We'd be a church where every day people are engaged, not just on Sundays.

We'd be a church that's a strategic training center to raise up the next generation of world changers.

Friends, circumstances have changed.

And we can keep our eyes fixed on our circumstances, or we can shift them to the one who has all authority, the one who has invited you in, the one who said, I have a purpose for your life that is bigger than any storm, that is greater than any bad year, and I've invited you in.

So would you lean in to this moment?

That's why we're here.

Great.

We can't gather as the church, but we can go be the church.

I would love and I look forward to the day, and I won't ever, I think, take for granted the power and the blessing and the joy of the gathering of God's people together, the worship and to hear God's word.

There's something deeply encouraging and refreshing to our soul.

I think that's why this moment is so important, even though it's not the way we ideally have it.

But would we fix our eyes that we don't, we never went to church in the first place.

We are the church.

You are the church.

I am the church.

And so wherever we're going, church is happening.

And we would bring the love of Jesus there.

Now, chances are, as I've been talking, you're going, that's great, Ryan.

Sounds like you're doing fine, but you don't get me.

Because this is me.

Honestly.

Because if you open me up, I'm empty.

I'm exhausted.

I feel alone.

I feel overwhelmed.

I feel I'm spiritually dry.

I just feel lost and confused.

Because this is actually how I am.

I'm just like this empty, like wandering, and I feel assaulted on, and I'm just trying to make it through.

And so, not me, not now, that's me.

And then Jesus says this, knowing this is where you would be.

Knowing this is where I would be.

Knowing that we can't do it on our own.

And in and of ourselves, we are empty, overwhelmed, anxious.

And surely, and surely I'm with you.

Like I'm with you.

Even to the end of the age.

With you always.

I'm with you in this moment.

I haven't left you.

I haven't abandoned you.

I haven't I haven't said, like, you know what?

I guess you're just gonna have to figure this out on your own.

The way the apostle Paul would say it in Colossians, Colossians 1.13, he would say, For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

He's like, I'm with you, I'm rescuing you.

But the gospel is even better than that.

See, because I think so many of us are feeling empty and hollow and just like, I got nothing.

And the apostle Paul in Colossians 1 27 would say it this way: that it's actually Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Like, like you're not empty.

I'm in you.

I'm with you always to the very end of the age, to the point that I'm in you.

It's Christ deposited in you.

It's the Spirit of God that sealed you.

I am in you, and right now you're not walking around an empty, overwhelmed, exhausted, no good person.

You are a Christ-filled Christian.

This is you right now, through COVID.

This is Christ in you the hope of glory.

The hope of glory is not the economy, the hope of glory is not a vaccine, the hope of glory is not however the election pans out.

The hope of glory is that Christ himself has been deposited in you.

This is actually why, and this is our memory verse, and I want you to get this.

This is why Jesus would say in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, but you will receive power, supernatural power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses, your purpose, your calling to declare his excellencies.

Acts 1:8

In Jerusalem, that's those close to you, in Judea, the places you go, Samaria, people that you may not agree with or even like, and even to the ends of the age, his power indwelling you, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, dwells in you.

You are not empty, you're not alone, you have Christ in you.

Now, if you got your Bibles and you're in Colossians, you went from 127, flip over then to chapter 3, verse 1.

It says, Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, so there's an act of setting of realizing this is your reality.

And then he says this.

In God.

So I don't know when you look at you, when you think about you, what you see.

I think what you see is this empty me.

Empty me says, not me, not now.

And what God says is true of you is Christ in you, but it's even better than that.

Colossians 3 told us that you are in Christ.

Not only is Christ in you, but you are in Christ, and so this is you.

I don't know if you can see you in there.

Can you see yourself in there?

You're in there, and then Christ is in you, and this is your reality.

And so as you go, you go as a fully equipped, spiritually empowered ambassador of the gospel of Christ because Christ is in you and Christ is over you.

Christ is under you, is your foundation in all around you.

And so it's his power, not yours.

It's his strength, not yours.

And you're going, I feel empty, but the reality is I'm gonna fix my mind, set my heart on what's true.

You have everything you need to be and to do what God has called you to be and do through his power, through his presence in you.

And so, as we close this series, this is good.

This is you.

And so would you keep this picture in your head so that you might be healing and hope and help to those who need to hear the good news that God loves you.

The good news that he hasn't left you, the good news that he wants to bring new life into your life to raise dead things to life, to bring healing and life.

For I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

For the power of God, for the salvation of many.

Would we be that church?

The church on the go, the church empowered and dwelt by Christ, surrounded by Christ to express his love.

Jesus, thank you for the reality that you never leave us, you'll never forsake us.

And that right now, in this moment, you have given your followers everything we need.

All the power, all the strength for today, in this moment, to be and to do what you've called us to be.

And so, God, I ask for my friends right now, in this moment, that you would reignite, reignite a passion and a holy why, your purpose and your calling in their life.

Give them a fresh vision to see others the way you see them, a heart that breaks for the things that break for your heart, and a confidence that you're with them and you're in them, so they will step forward when they feel like they can't to see that you can.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.