GOD'S LAST INVITATION

 

Text:  Rev. 22:17.

 

INTRODUCTION:

The word "come" appears 680 times in the Bible. God is about to close the

 

 Book, but He is not willing to close without a final invitation.

 

God's last invitation is recorded in the last book, the last chap­ter, almost the

 

Last verse. Rev. 22:17.

 

PROPOSITION:   Will you receive God's last invitation?

 

I. WHO INVITES.

The Spirit.

That which constrains men to accept Christ. Jn. 16:7-8.

 

2.The bride.

 

   The invitation of the church. Eph. 5:31-32. The invitation of heaven.  Rev. 21:2-4.

 

3.He that hearth.

 

   Everyone who hears should pass the invitation on.

 

II. WHO IS INVITED?

 

1.        He that is athirst.

 

  This thirst for God is universal. Ps, 42:1-2

 

  The water He gives satisfies. Jn. 4:14.

 

2.        He that will.

 

  None are excluded save those who willfully exclude them­selves.

 

III. WHAT THE INVITATION IS.

1.        "Come."

 

  Man is to be active in conversion. Acts 2:40; 3:19.

 

2.        Take the water of life freely. Isa. 55:1. Nothing is more satisfying than

 

      Water to a thirsty man.

 

      This water is available to all. Jn. 7:37.

 

CONCLUSION:

 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, Behold, I freely give The living water; thirsty

 

one, stoop down, and drink, and live.

 

I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream; My thirst was

 

 quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.

 

Drink And Live!

 

For thirty days a ship had been drifting far off the coast of Brazil-engines

 

disabled, water tanks long dry. Tongues were beginning to protrude from

 

 parched and bleeding lips, as men experienced the agony which

 

accompanies dying of thirst. The ship's flag was being flown upside down:

 

 the signal of distress. One agonizing day, with hope all but gone, one of

 

the dying sea­men turned his head to see a faint column of smoke out on the

 

horizon. Out there somewhere there was life and safety. As he watched that

 

 thin column of smoke, it came nearer and nearer until he could discern the

 

 upper portion of a vessel. The ship came ever nearer until finally the dying

 

men realized that they were sighted and saved.

 

As the seamen watched so eagerly, they saw the ship drop anchor. A

 

lifeboat was lowered and started to pull toward the stricken vessel. As the

 

little boat approached, a man stood up in the prow and shouted, "what is

 

 wrong? What can we do for you?" With almost superhuman strength, the

 

 sailors tilted the last water keg sufficiently to gain a few drops of precious

 

 liquid to moisten the skipper's throat so that he could speak. As soon as he

 

 found voice he shouted hoarsely, "Water! We've got to have water!"

 

"Put a bucket over the side if that is all you want," came the reply from the

 

lifeboat. "Put a bucket over the side." And the little boat turned and started

 

 back to the rescue ship.

 

The men thought that they were being mocked, and the cap­tain ordered a

 

shot to be fired at the departing craft. The sailors had to watch in despair as

 

the little boat was taken up into the mother vessel, and the ship weighed

 

anchor, turned and steamed off into the distance. "Put a bucket over the

 

side if that is all you want!"

 

Finally one of the men said, "I'm going to try it--even if it is that brackish

 

 Stuff -- I'm going to try it!" So he lowered a. bucket on a rope, raised it

 

 Feebly, hand-over-hand, lifted the bucket to his lips and drenched himself

 

 When he could wrench the bucket from his lips he cried, "Mates, it is fresh

 

 Water!” And some of you know why: For 700 miles off the coast of

 

Brazil that mighty Amazon River pushes a current of fresh water for thirty

 

 Day’s men had been dying of thirst on fresh water!

 

Why would you die, when all about is the water of life, to be had for the

 

Taking? Drink-and live!