The Proposal
Notes
Transcript
What is being offered at proposal?
A better life than before
-Help & Rest: Matthew 11:28-30;
-Unconditional love: John 8:10-11;
-Joy: Psalm 16:11;
Why do we often reject the proposal from Heaven? Some of us don’t want to be proposed to at all.
Blindness- Blind leading the blind Luke 6:39; 2 Timothy 4:3-4;
Feeling of unworthiness: Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 43:18;
Pride & Stubbornness: Ephesians 4:18; Proverbs 26:12;
Worldly pleasure: Revelation 3:1; Luke 12:32; Matthew 19:16-26;
How do I propose Jesus to someone?
By remembering first that Jesus is attractive enough. We don’t need to make false promises or dress up his offer. We remind people: Romans 5:8;
How do I gain the courage to accept a proposal from Jesus?
Romans 10:13;
The day I proposed to my wife was one of the most anxious nerve racking days of my life. I was pastoring in Boone, NC then and Meggan was a teacher in Birmingham Alabama. We had been doing long distance for all 3 years we had been dating. Both of us had had enough of that. We both wanted to be married. We had made plans to meet up in Chattanooga, TN, but little did she know…(actually if you ask her, she fully expected it)…but in my head, little did she know…I was making plans to propose to her in some of our friends backyard....Now I have to confess a couple things…1. I told major fib to Meggan. I told her I was going to be late meeting up because I had a pastoral visit to make before I could come down so I would be delayed (There was no visit). I had asked our friends to take Meggan somewhere so I could dress up their backyard a little.
The other thing was i was SOOOOO nervous. Now when I say I was nervous, I don’t mean I was nervous about commitment or marriage. No I was nervous, because I dreadfully feared proposing and getting down on one knee and asking the question, Will you marry me, and her looking down and crushing my dreams and saying no. For a couple months leading up to my proposal she had dropped hints at me, she was ready for me to propose. One big hint was when she straight up told me, she would say yes if I asked. And yet I still carried a nervous energy that what if she tells me “no.”
A couple things to consider here.
-If we let fear dictate our decision making, we are going to miss out on a whole lot that life has to offer.
-Without asking the question, my future wife wouldn’t have had a chance to say yes or no. (so I am glad I did ask)
Ultimately when she arrived I wasn’t nervous anymore because I saw the look on her face as she walked toward me smiling.
I did mess up a little…I had been planning to say her full name when I proposed, first, middle, and last....but what you may not know is Meggan has 2 middle names....and suddenly I actually forgot one of her middle names Emma Elizabeth....I said Meggan (pause) Johnson...”Will you marry me?”
Luckily she still said yes.
She said YES!!!
In my head what I was hearing… “I’ve got this life and I want to spend it with you for always going forward.” We were offering to join our lives together and that ultimately our lives would be better together than a part from each other.
I really can only tell you the emotions I was feeling leading up to the proposal. I am sure Meggan could tell you her own feelings leading up. She was in her 3rd year teaching at a school she loved, and had grown quite fond of her church family. I wasn’t just proposing marriage, but in many ways I was asking her to join me in North Carolina and leaving behind a life she had built in Alabama.
Was what I offering her enough?
There in line has me thinking of another proposal. Is there anyone in your life you have been wanting to propose accepting Jesus to? Is it a family member or a relative? Is it a close friend? Is it a neighbor or even an acquaintance?
Is there anyone in your life, that deep down you have a fear of popping this question to?
Maybe you identify better with the person getting asked the question? What are the things serving as obstacles to giving the answer yes.
If you are watching online or even out here in the congregation, let us know in the comments on facebook or youtube…what often prevents us from saying yes?
Is it the committment? Is it because of potential for life change? I won’t sugar coat it. Things change when we accept Jesus. Jesus accepts us exactly as we are and meets us in whatever life circumstance we are in. But God NEVER leaves us in the same place or state he finds us. You begin a journey with Him.
This morning we are going to examine both elements of “the proposal.” We are going to let the Bible give us answers. Before we go any further, lets pause and pray.
pray
So a question I would like us to consider as we jump in? What is really being offered when someone proposes? When I proposed to my wife what was I attempting to offer? When we ask someone to accept Jesus as their saviour, what is being offered?
I would suggest, ultimately a better life than the one before!
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In the case of my marriage proposal to my wife, Meggan and I had concluded prior that both our lives were much better together than they were a part from one another. When I asked, and she said Yes, we were mutually agreeing to face any of life’s challenges together. Believe me, we’ve faced some challenges that we would never have wanted to endure alone…ultimately a better life, does not mean a life without challenges. It means we are better prepared to handle adversity together than on our own.
When it comes to offering Jesus to someone, its much like a proposal, in my opinion.
How is a life with Jesus a better life than before?
Well for starters, we are being offered. Help and Rest! Are there any parents in this place who need some help or rest? Is there anyone who needs help and rest from the stresses of their job? Is there anyone hear who needs help or rest from pain or grief you are experiencing.
Listen to these immortal words of Jesus: change slide
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Maybe there is someone who has truly never felt like they are loved, at-least not unconditionally loved. As a pastor or even just growing up I have met many people who haven’t known what to do when they experience real genuine love or kindness or friendship, because they’ve not been shown this or experienced it at home.
I seem to always come back to the experience of Mary being thrown at the feet of Jesus, set up by men, looking to trap Jesus. What she experienced was the genuine love and kindness of Jesus. You can read the full story in John chapter 8, but his response comes in verse 10 after sending away her accusers by writing their own sins in the sand.
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
At proposal, what is being offered is unconditional love.
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I also believe at proposal, what is being offered is joy. Jesus offers a whole lot of that.
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You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Do you know anyone in this place that just seems to always find the capacity to smile or be positive even in the threat great challenge or adversity? I would suggest to you that is a spiritual power from the Holy Spirit reminding us He is with us always. There is something mighty attractive of about surrounding ourselves with positive and joyful people. There is something about spending the rest of your life with someone who brings you joy. Honestly your spouse may not always be able to be joyful…but being able to find joy in each other even on un-joyful days is a blessing. My friends I can promise you this, if you will surrender your heart to Jesus…He will bring you joy. Not in the form of some misguided prosperity gospel but through unwavering love, faithfulness, and forgiveness.
So Yes! A better life of help and rest, unconditional unwavering love, and joy; that is what is being offered at proposal.
Okay well if thats whats being offered when we propose a life with Jesus to someone, why do people say “no?”
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One suggestion I would give you is not being able to see those beautiful things offered. Maybe they are being led to rules, and regulations, or systematic approaches that appear to be fake.
If a blind person relies on hearing and feeling, what do they do when the person person leading them is also blind?
Jesus makes this point in the gospel of Luke.
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He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
Expounding on this thought and principle, Paul writes in his letter to Timothy.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Sometimes we are deceived by what we want to hear or to things that fit our desired or accepted narrative and we end up following leaders who are either actively deceiving us or they are mighty lost themselves and are not aware of it.
Getting sucked into Social media, mass media, and politics all have the potential for falling for dangerous agendas. Some of us have been burned so many times, we don’t know who to trust and who to turn to.
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Another reason we reject the proposal is a feeling of unworthiness to what is being offered. Your eyes are clear to the good things of what could be but you don’t believe you are worthy enough to receive such a gift. Anyone here know someone with self-destructive or self sabotaging tendencies. I am speaking to you. God wants you to know....NO HUMAN is really worthy atleast not by their own merits. The gift God is giving you is not based on merit or the gift being earned. The gift is an act of love. Plain and simple.
God wants you to accept his forgiveness and not chain you to your past. He wants you to see your future with Him.
“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
He asks us to trust him above even ourselves.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
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Some of us have the struggle of that feeling of unworthiness, but there are also those os us struggling with our own pride or stubborness.
I want to be careful with sharing my next example because I don’t want it to be misinterpreted or misunderstood.
I know lots people who have found joy and fulfillment and live a very happy life who live alone and go through life unmarried or without kids. The apostle Paul found his joy in living by declaring the gospel to all who would listen as a single man....so don’t get me wrong here.
I am saying, for me, I wanted a life partner. I wanted someone to come home to. I wanted someone who would be in my corner everyday. I remember coming home from a church board meeting feeling totally dejected, my spirit beaten dow, and upset. This instance was not with this church board lol. Coming home to a wife who was there for me and listened to me and comforted me…was the best thing ever! However what if in our dating relationship I had determined. I don’t need help, I don’t need comfort, I don’t need someone there for me and because of that I decided I didn’t need a life partner. Well I can assure you my own stubbornness would have cheated myself out of a greater life. Again, only sharing my experience here as an example, I’m not talking now about a marriage proposal. I am talking about the spiritual proposal and some of us have let our pride and stubbornness stand in the way of accepting Jesus into our lives for to long!
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Paul writing to the Ephesian believers:
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
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Lately my wife has been enduring my obsession with watching how knives are forged, whether watching youtube videos of bladesmiths or watching the history channel bladesmithing game show forged in fire.
One thing I have observed in the knife making craft is the heat treating process is a very careful task. Once the blade has been hammered into shape and heated to a glowing temperature, it is quickly cooled in a container filled with oil called the quench. If all works well the blade will come out straight. However if the blade is to hot and is quenched, the blade can warp or develop cracks. At this point sometimes the blade is to hard to even be finished. It can snap or even shatter when tested.
Some of us here have had our hearts become so hard. We have a hard time loving our neighbors, friends or family. Some of have wounds so deep we can foolishly reject the help we need.
Watching those skilled craftsmen work through cracks and warps in their blades is something really special though. Often they will take that blade and put it back in the forge and heat it up to re-weld the cracks or soften the blade enough that the next time it goes in the quench it will come out almost a new blade.
God is also a craftsmen. He has never seen one of his children beyond repair.
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Lastly though, a significant reason we often reject a proposal of a life with Jesus....
…is the pursuit of worldly pleasure. change slide
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
reputation of being alive, but you are dead...
Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 19:16-26
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, 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.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
I have always wondered if the gospels don’t record everyone Jesus called to be disciples. Here was a prime candidate to become one of Jesus’ closest followers, but when he ultimately weighed his choices at accepting Jesus’s proposal, his focus was on what he would be giving up rather than what he would be gaining.
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Some of you may have watched the series, “The Chosen.” A highly well done series depiction o Jesus calling his disciples. The series takes a few liberties, filling in gaps and merging stories within the gospels and also adding plausible but fictitious story lines. One added element to the story I found so emotionally gut-wrenching that had me on the verge of tears was Jesus interaction with the pharisee Nicodemus. Just as in scripture, Nicodemus was amazed at Jesus and his heart was clearly being moved. So much so Nicodemus requested to meet with Jesus in private in the night when none of his colleagues would see him. This is recorded in John chapter 3. It is in this chapter Nicodemus famously asks about being born again. Jesus also shares with Nicodemus perhaps the most famous scripture of all time. John3:16.
In the series however, there is a scene added…Jesus calls Nicodemus to follow Him and become one of his disciples and to meet him the following day and journey with him and his companions. Nicodemus so badly wants to join him. But ultimately after learning of his wife’s unsupport even after understanding Jesus being the one the prophets of teh old testament had been pointing to, Nicodemus in tears and out of sight painfully chooses to not join Jesus in his travels.
After watching, I remember watching, and thinking about all of us who have been proposed to to follow Jesus but because of a life circumstance, or family, or our love of possessions, prevent us from saying Yes to Jesus when He is calling for us to follow him.
I mentioned ealrier this message today is for both the person making the proposal and to the person being proposed to.
If you identify as the person struggling to say yes to Heaven’s proposal to you. I want you to know you are not a lone! A couple weeks ago, we watched Ms. Dana take the inspiring and chilly plunge in being baptized outdoors in our leaky blow up pool. Prior to being baptized, I got to ask her what she would say to those who are thinking of accepting the same call in their life. Her answer was simple and inspiring. She said, “Just go for it!”
Maybe we’ve made this request to complicated…Its just as simple as saying, “Yes!”
If 17 young people at Eddlemon can say yes begin their journey of discipleship.
If 16 year old Hannah can find the courage and go for it be the only one to walk down and stand in front of strangers and make a decision for Christ a couple weeks ago.
What obstacle is standing in your way? There isn’t one big enough that God won’t help you get over. If you want to say Yes! Write that down on a connect card in your pew and please give it to myself or pastor Don leave it at the desk in the lobby.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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Maybe your the person who is afraid to pop the bigger question than, “Will you marry me?” That question is, “Will you accept Jesus as your saviour?” Maybe you dont want to put to much pressure on your friend or family member. Maybe you don’t want to scare them off. Hey listen I get it. It took 3 years of dating relationship with Meggan before I was able to propose. She wasn’t ready for me to ask after our first date…even if I might’ve been! But heres the thing, so many of us wait so long, that unfortunately we end up not asking a person at all if they want to accept Jesus. Not everyone is going to say yes. But don’t let fear prevent you from ever asking. As I am talking I know someone is popping into your head that you want to witness to. It may be your mom or dad. It may be your life long friend. It may even be someone you just met. The point is God wants us to pop that big question. I’m asking everyone here, but many want a personal touch.
Did you know after we had close to 800 people come through our campus for God’s closet last sunday, hundreds at registration asked to be prayed with. hundreds asked to know more about God’s love! We have enlisted the help of our elders, and ministry leaders, and church board members to hep follow up with phone calls. Is there anyone here who would like to help make a few phone calls this week and help us? See Pastor Don or myself and we’ll make sure you get some phone numbers call and offer prayer.
Folks one thing we don’t have to do when we propose Jesus to someone else is make false promises. Jesus is attractive enough. We simply remind them or tell them maybe for the first time, His promises.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Let them know God desires them here and now, in the immediate state their in. He loves each os us and wants everyone to know his offer to us, of a better life, with help and rest, unconditional and unwavering love, and true joy. God wants this for each and everyone of you. Lets tell someone else about again again and again.