Focus: The Offer Still Stands (Pt.7)

Text: Mt.11:28

"Come unto me."

Christ says to you, "Come unto me." That is the primary invitation - the invitation of all invitations. "Come to ME," He says. Come to Him and your search for identity, satisfaction and significance will come to an end. He is the center and circumference of human existence. In Him and by Him you will realize a blissful eternity and the essence of existence. He mends broken things and makes all things new. 

Paul says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2Cor.5:17). One benefit of coming to Christ is rest from endless and tiresome toil and wearisome and frustrating labor.

Another aspect of coming to Christ is for the purpose of being with Him. Mark reports that Christ "ordained twelve, that they should be WITH him…" (Mk.3:14). Coming to Christ leads to being with Him. Christ is so sweet to be with. You feel secure being in His presence. He bullies no one. He scares no man. He neither intimidates nor humiliates anyone. His presence draws. His words are informative, insightful and instructive, and His works are wonders to behold. By being with Christ your whole life is eternally transformed. 

Being with Christ is the best thing that could ever happen to you.

Yet another aspect of coming to Christ is for the purpose of following Him. He says to you, 'Come TO me… Be WITH me… FOLLOW me.' He says to one, "Come and follow me." He says to another, "Come, follow me." He says to Peter, "Follow me… Follow thou me" (Mt.19:21; Lk.18:22; Jh.21:19,22).

Disciples are followers of another's teachings and ways of life. They are passionate about following their master and passionate about doing all He says. The call to follow is a call to discipleship and discipline. It is a call to a new way of doing things and living life. Christ declares, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (Jh.10:27). You are called to follow the best of men - the man, Christ Jesus. 

Amazingly, this man is the man of Calvary, the Lord from heaven, the last Adam, and the God-man. He is teacher of all teachers, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the Prince of peace, the Redeemer of all humanity, the Giver of eternal life, and the Lord of eternal glory.

He says to you, "If any man serve me, let him follow me…" (Jh.12:26). Serving the Lord involves following Him and taking orders from Him. Peter says, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1Pet.2:21). You are a disciple who follow His steps. By what He said and what He did He has left you an example to follow. 

To follow implies imitating the master and patterning your life after His own. In the science world samples are very important. Everything is done to preserve a sample. Everything that is ever made follows a sample or pattern. The life of Jesus is our perfect example. The death of Jesus is an example of sacrificial love. No one will ever miss their way following Jesus. 

The offer still stands - "Come, follow me." Even in future life you will still be following the Lord Jesus Christ. John writes, "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth" (Rev.14:4). You are called to follow Him forever - in time and in eternity. The offer to follow the Lamb everywhere still stands.

Bishop Moses E. Peter