COME
MATTHEW 11:28; REVELATION 22:20
Introduction:
“The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, ‘Come.’ The Jewish law harshly said, ‘Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt live.’” — Charles Haddon Spurgeon
There is here a two-fold cry, “come.” The first is by the Lord as He admonishes to sinner to “come unto me.” The second cry comes from the believer as he suffers the anguish of living in a world without God and his soul cries out for the soon coming of the Lord.
I. THE CRY OF THE LORD, “COME.”
A. The Law drove men before it with commands, Deuteronomy 4:1, “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.”
1. The law could not save you, Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
2. The law manifested the distance between God and man, Ephesians 2:12, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
B. God’s mercy admonishes us to “come,” Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”
1. Life is promised.
2. The “sure mercies of David” is the basis of God keeping His word, Psalm 89:28, “My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.”
C. The Gospel of Christ draws with bands of love, John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
1. The gospel draws the sinner in love, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
2. The gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it, Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
D. Jesus woos us to come unto Him, Matthew 19:14, “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
1. Those who have “thirst” are invited to come, John 7:37-38, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
2. Those that have a thirst for “righteousness” are invited to come and be filled, Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
E. He asks why we work for that which does not satisfy, Isaiah 55:2, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”
1. Listen to me, God says, Isaiah 46:12, “Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:”
2. Listen to me and understand, Mark 7:14, “And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:”
a. Understand the Word of God, Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”
b. Understand where you went wrong, Job 6:24, “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.”
c. Understanding is to be sought, Proverbs 2:4-5, “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
II. THE CRY OF THE BELIEVER IS “COME.”
A. You will be longing for His Second Coming, Revelation 22:20, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
B. You will be looking for His Second Coming,
1. You don’t know the hour, Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Mark 13:35, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:”
2. He has commanded us to watch, Mark 13:34, “For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.”
CONCLUSION
As the coming of the Lord get closer “you will be panting for nearer and closer communion with him. As his voice to you is ‘Come,’ your response to him will be, ‘Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone the throne of my heart; reign there without a rival, and consecrate me entirely to thy service.’”