Project Girl Cordially Invited!

Intro:

Definition of Invitation: a written or verbal request inviting someone to go somewhere or to do something

There at least three levels of invitation:

There are invitation that don’t effect your life at all.

when friends ask you to breakfast or a movie.

There are invitation that affect your life minimally

When a close family member invites you to a wedding. You will be receiving a new family member into the family. A new brother in law or sister in law.

There are other invitation that fundamentally change the trajectory of your life if accepted

When you got married

When you decided to have children

When you committed your life to the Lord(life-changing)

When you accepted your calling(life-changing)

In our Program today there were three folks with three different attitudes towards the invitation.

The Religious want to earn their invitation. I don’t want anything for free, and I feel everyone else should earn their invite as well. (These are folks who don’t understand grace)

The Worldly want to bring other people and things to the event (these are the folks who want grace without boundaries)

The Humble-I don’t deserve to have an invitation, and I graciously accept anything you provide.

I. The Religious

Lets define “The Religious” : The view God as an employer who sets the weekly work the demand. They view God’s law as a set of chores that needs to accomplished so that they can get paid at the end of the week, or more specifically when they stand before him and go over the list of things they accomplished for him.

The view their relationship with God as a transaction. God sets the bar of what’s acceptable then I meet the bar with my good behavior. When that happens God then pays me accordingly. Listen to Jesus description of Religious and Worldly man in Mark 10:17-27

Mark 10:17–27 CSB

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

This is a man who crossed all of his T’s and dotted all of I’s. All of his ducks where in a row.

Jesus says “why do you call me good?” Jesus wasn’t denying his goodness he was rebuking the rich young ruler’s flippant use of the term “good” it was purely external and not internal goodness.

Jesus understood in important point about goodness. It doesn’t start on the outside it starts on the inside and it comes from a new heart that only he could provide.

This man was religious: notice Mark 10:19-20

Mark 10:19–20 CSB

19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”

(19-20) Jesus repeats the bottom 6 commandments related to “Love of Neighbor” the Rich young Ruler responds to Jesus emphatically “I have keep all of these” I have meet your standard. I have reach the bar.

Don’t forget the original question:

Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

The Religious are looking for rules not relationships.

Remember they don”t see God as father, they see him as an employer.

They are looking to be saved by works of righteousness not grace!

There was a second person invited but failed to show up.

II. The Worldly

Let’s define “The Worldly” these are folks that view God as an asset. They see him as important and useful like another car, or another boat, or as more life insurance. They are not looking for transformation they are looking for addition. Look at the Rich young ruler in this text.

Mark 10:20–22 CSB

20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

(20-21) After telling Jesus I have crossed the Religious T. Jesus says “one thing you lack!” Go sell all you have and give to the poor!” Now it’s important you realize “selling all you have will not save you, because that would be a work!” But what is necessary for salvation is a willingness to give up your idols.

The Rich young ruler wanted Jesus plus his Idols. Worldly people want to define their relationship with God to accommodate their idols and desires. For some it’s wealth, for others it’s poverty, for some it’s sexual freedom, for other’s it’s intelligence. We all have are desires, and we all at sometime or another wanted God to make room for us and our idols.

Beloved salvation is not addition it is transformation. It is a heart change whereby you give God permission to change you from inside out.

(22) The Rich Young Ruler rejected the invitation, and the scriptures tells us why? “because he had many possessions. You see the Ruler wanted the Savior but not the Lord.

We live in a time where people simple want Jesus for what he can do for them. They want to experience his saving power but not his transformation power.

There was a third person in the performance today, and that’s “The Humble”

III. The Humble

Let’s go to the projects to see if we can find someone who’s willing to be used by God:

John 1:43–46 CSB

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered.

(43-45) In the process of picking his disciples Philip found Nathanael and told him we have found the one Moses spoke about in the Law.

(46) Nathan responds by saying “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” this is first time this city is ever mentioned in the Bible. Notice he said anything “good” Nazareth was small and insignificant, with a population of less than 500 people. During this time people would have expected the Chosen One to come from Jerusalem or some large Metropolis, but not Nazareth this is below a King

(46) Less not forget. Mary and Joseph were poor. I know this because when Jesus was dedicated they brought two turtle doves to be sacrificed. Turtledoves were the sacrifice of people who could not afford a Goat or a Sheep. They probably picked Nazareth because of it’s affordability. All Mary and Joseph could afford is a one family flat on the Northside of Galilee.

Mary Visited by the Angels in the Hood Luke 1:26-38

The Angels Greeting

Luke 1:26–29 CSB

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

(26-27) The Angel Gabriel found Mary where she was at. This small insignificant village in Galilee.

(28) Then he Greeted her “Favored woman!” The Lord is with you!-Mary is a godly woman Luke takes great pains to tell us this, but the phraseology in this greeting makes it clear the God chose her by his grace not because of her faithfulness. “Highly Favored Woman!” The Lord is with you! The Lord has chosen you to bestow his Grace! Her virginity did not make her special. In the ancient Israelite culture 99.5 of the women were Virgin’s. God chose her out of the good pleasure of his own will!!!!

(29) Like anyone who is truly humble “This decision by God deeply troubled Mary!” The word troubled means perplexed or confused! Truly Humble and Grateful people never truly understand why this Holy, Powerful, and Loving God would choose them.

Mary was legitimately confused about her being chosen by God. Notice what she says about herself in Luke 1:46-48

Luke 1:46–49 CSB

46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.

(48) Mary says he looked with Favor on he humble condition of his servant.

The Angels Proclamation

Luke 1:30–33 CSB

30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

(30-33) Mary calm down the Lord has chosen you to bestow his favor on. You are going to have son and his name will be Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord will give him the throne of his father David. He will be a King and his Kingdom will have no end.

The Angels Explanation

Luke 1:34–37 CSB

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

(34) Mary knows how to add. Things are not adding up in her head. Then the Angel comforts her this baby is not coming the same ways as Elizabeth! This birth is coming from on high.

(35) The Incarnation was a triune work the HS will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy one to be born will be called “The Son of God” the little boys’ conception is the work of God. You will be his earthly mother but you are not his Spiritual Parent.

(37) The Angels reminds Mary “this is nothing for God, for nothing is impossible with God!”

What was Mary response to the invitation of God to being a vessel for the Son of God?

Luke 1:38 CSB

38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38 NASB95

38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

(38)(NASB) Mary in the midst of her confusion, and perplexity tells the Angel. “I am the Lord’s Servant!” my body is has been bought with a price it is his to use. I am confused and wondering “why he would invite me to a part of such a wondrous plan, but I’m available!”

(38) “May it be done to me according to your word” you can hear the passive voice in this clause. May it be done to me! In the Black Church we say “Let him use you!” that is passive. It is God doing the using and Mary doing the submitting.

When Mary made this decision she knew the cost of the decision. Here life was not going to be peaches and cream. When she accepted this responsibility she would have assumed Joseph would break off the engagement, and also she knew for the rest of her life she would be identified as a Loose woman notice what John 8:41

John 8:41 CSB

41 You’re doing what your father does.” “We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.”

(41) Your momma was “out there” Jesus. Mary held this stigma throughout her life.

Mary accepted this invitation from knowing the cost.

Conclusion

Don’t be like the Religious who are trying to get to heaven on their own Merit.

Don’t be like the Worldly who are trying to bring all of their stuff to heaven with them

Be like Mary who was willing to set aside personal fulfillment, personal goals, personal purpose for something far bigger than what she could have ever imagined.

5992 Because Christ Jesus came to the world clothed in humility, he will always be found among those who are clothed with humility. He will be found among the humble people.

A. W. Tozer

If you accept this invitation your life will be changed forever it will never be the same!