Come To The Lord

   Our Lord extended what is often called The Great Invitation: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28).  Speaking of spiritual thirst He said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (Jn. 7:37-38).  In reference to spiritual food He sated, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (Jn. 6:35).

   Our only hope for eternity is to come to Jesus; “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (Jn. 6:37).  A great many people refuse to come to the Lord.  Some of those don’t believe in Jesus and, as a result, are doomed to hopelessness.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn. 14:6).
   Others refuse to come to the Lord because, bluntly speaking, they don’t want to give up sin.  They’re living a lifestyle of sinfulness, and they don’t want to give it up.  Moses, faced with a similar decision, chose to forsake sin and follow the Lord: “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing (temporary) pleasures of sin,” (Heb. 11:25).
   Many people claim to love the Lord, but their lives clearly demonstrate that they have not made Him Lord of their lives.  They do not want to give up control.  The apostle Paul, speaking of his own experience, described it this way: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).  There’s a big difference between having faith and living a life of faithfulness.
   So many people know that they need to come to the Lord, but they resist doing so.  They’re in despair, their lives are in turmoil and a downward spiral.  They’ve lost their job and don’t have the money to take care of their family, or their marriage is falling apart, or they’re trying to find release from the shackles of some sexual sin, or they’re struggling to overcome an addiction…  They feel helpless and hopeless.  They may even feel that they can’t be forgiven.  But, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9).
   The Lord’s invitation is to “all you who labor and are heavy laden.”  His promise is, “I will give you rest.”  The condition He lays out is, “Come to Me.”  Do you need to come to the Lord?  We want to help you learn how.  Be assured, God loves you.  Jesus loves you.  We love you.  Please put your name and contact information on the form enclosed in this bulletin, or talk with one of us today, and let us help.  Accept Jesus’ invitation. Come to the Lord…