THE INVITATION
Isaiah 55:1

Unlocking the Mystery Series
October 11, 2009
Pastor Nathan J. Thompson

Many years ago, during my seminary internship year living in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Kim and I received a very special invitation.  Some members of our congregation invited us to be their guests at the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Ball held at the local country club.

In asking some questions we discovered that this annual event would be made up of a “Who’s Who” list of prominent Chicago people.  The famous radio personality, Paul Harvey, would be attending as would some prominent politicians, doctors, lawyers, and business people.

The wife of this inviting couple told Kim that her husband would not wear his tux, but she would wear her chiffon.  She said that we should feel free to wear whatever dress up or semiformal clothes that we had.

Kim and I were newly married; I was a graduate seminary student with no money and we had very few possessions to our name.  In fact, I had a basic cheap suit my parents bought me when I was in college and Kim had fortunately packed a long prom dress when we moved there.

Yet even as we felt totally out of place in this setting we accepted this gracious invitation knowing that we were not deserving in any way.  In others words, we were not important people for others to network with socially, and we were not people who could make a large donation to this infant welfare cause.

We accepted this invitation, we went just as we were, and we had a great and wonderful time.  We did stick out among all the tuxes and furs, and also being about the youngest people there.  Yet everyone was very gracious and welcoming.  It was a memory we will never forget.

In the Bible, God’s Word, God is also one who offers people an invitation.  In fact, one of the first places God offers His invitation is through the words of the Prophet Isaiah.  God uses the picture of a marketplace to explain His incredible offer.

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”  (Isaiah 55:1)  God’s invitation comes in grace even though none of us deserve it or are able to pay for it.  It is all a gift.

So today, in unlocking a Bible mystery, our focus is on this invitation and this gracious message from Isaiah. Now Isaiah lived around 700 BC.  His role as a prophet was that he was an interpreter of the times and a spokesperson for God.  His main call was to speak God’s message.

His main message was to call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through the coming Messiah.  Some of you may remember that the nation of Israel had been split in two by civil war.  The northern part was called Israel and the southern part was called Judah.

Isaiah’s challenge was whether he could speak a message and help these people in Judah to remain faithful to God.  So Chapters 1-39 are mostly about God’s judgment for sin and for straying from God.  Isaiah is very strong in warning the people to remain faithful.

Then in Chapters 40-66 Isaiah speaks words of comfort, hope and forgiveness.  Isaiah also lifts up some prophecies of the coming Messiah who will rescue and heal them.  Isaiah really motivates these people to look ahead in anticipation and hope for God’s deliverance.

Isaiah 9:6, of course, reads, “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  This is the great Christmas prophecy.

And in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  This is the amazing prophecy describing Jesus’ death for you and me.

In that context then comes the Invitation in Isaiah 55:1.  After warning the people to stay close to God, and after proclaiming the hope of the coming Messiah, Isaiah offers this invitation to each one to simply come to God’s living waters.

The good news is that we don’t need to bring anything to God.  The truth is that you will never have enough faith; you will never have enough good works; you will never have enough of anything you can do on your own.  Your salvation and new life depend completely on Jesus.

This invitation of Isaiah also relates to the invitation of Jesus in John 7:37:  “Let anyone who is thirsty come and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water (the Holy Spirit) will flow from within them.”

So, an important and essential key to unlocking the mysteries of the Bible is this invitation.  Yet what makes it essential is not simply to learn about it, but to put it into practice by accepting this invitation.  It means to commit your life to following Jesus by faith and service.

It is interesting that there are many people today who know lots of things about the Bible and about Jesus.  There are many people who know about Bible history and many of the stories.  Yet there is a big difference between knowing about these things and accepting the invitation to follow Jesus by faith.

It is only as we come to Jesus that we know His amazing grace and love.  It is only as we come to His life-giving waters that we know His forgiveness, healing love and peace.  It is only as we receive His gift of love that we know His new life, hope, power, and joy in living.  To fail to come to Jesus means that we miss out on all these blessings.

How about you, my friend?  Have you heard and received God’s invitation to you?  Have you come to Jesus and His life-giving waters?  If you have not yet done this, be assured that you are invited.  No matter what you have done, or where you are in your life, you are welcome to come.

Simply say “yes” to Jesus and this invitation.  Ask God to help you to come and give your life to Jesus by faith.  Commit yourself to worship and learn more about God’s promises.  To follow Jesus, and to be open to His guidance and leading, will open you to the many wonders and mysteries God has in store for you.

Another important consideration when it comes to this invitation is the importance of believers in Christ, of people like you and me, in turn going out and sharing God’s invitation with others.  As powerful as these words of Isaiah and Jesus are, most people will never hear these words of invitation unless we tell them.

Studies have confirmed time and again that most people do not simply pick up a Bible one day and read it; most people do not go to a newspaper and/or Web site and decide out of the blue to come to church; most do not just pick a random church for their children’s involvement.

I heard of a very large mega-church who spent around $100,000 on advertising through some major billboards and through expensive mailings of professional brochures blanketing an area.  Yet in their analysis and evaluation of this outreach effort the facts showed that their results were negligible.

Later this church asked each person who was worshipping with them to write down the name of one unchurched or spiritually seeking person they knew.  They asked them to pray daily for that person.  Then if the time seemed right, to invite that person to join them at a church event, or to worship, or to join their small group, or to get their kids involved.  This more personal effort brought in hundreds of new people.

This focus on a personal invitation from someone who knows and cares about them is by far the most effective means of outreach and evangelism.  Taking the time to just walk across the room, to listen and earn the right to share is always an invitation received with more openness.

The problem, of course, is that we of Lutheran and mainline Protestant backgrounds are known to be invitationally challenged.  Like the Norwegian who said that he loved his wife so much he almost told her, we rarely share our faith and Christ’s invitation with others.

Yet if you just had a new baby or a new grandchild, would you keep it to yourself?  If you just won the American Idol competition would you not tell anyone?  No, when wonderful and amazing things happen in you, you can’t wait to share them with most everyone you meet.

Well, my friends, because of Jesus and His gracious invitation it is even greater than winning a $300 million lottery, being chosen for a promotion at work or winning a state tournament.  For in knowing Jesus by faith you share in His abundance and promises that last even unto eternal life.  To be in relationship with Jesus is the greatest blessing there is—bar none.

So, this morning I want to ask each one of you to write down a name or two of people you know who are wandering or searching these days, or who have no church they can call home.  Pray for them each day.  Put their name on your bathroom mirror so you think of them often.

Then ask God to give you the opportunity to invite them, to share with them what Jesus means to you, to invite them to worship, KIDzone, a small group, or to our Advent and Christmas worship this year.  May God bless your invitation and outreach.

My friends, God’s invitation opens us up to the importance of the Bible and to the wonders of knowing Jesus by faith.  Remember each day, in the ups and downs of life, that Jesus always offers His invitation to you, “Come you who are thirsty; come to the waters.”