By Almon Bartholomew
I took the time to look up the meaning of the phrase “RSVP.” It is a French phrase (and I don’t know any French) “Respondez S’ll Vous Plait.” The simple English meaning is “Please respond”. Invitations to a gathering, a celebration, held for invited guests only, which carry these letters are sent with the expectation that those who receive the invitation will respond. To not do so, whether indicating, “yes, I will attend” or “no, I will not attend,” is considered to be an affront. The higher level of the occasion for the purpose of the gathering, the greater affront it is to not respond. We will speak to this later in the message.
Text: “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Thought they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
God’s Word is replete with divine invitations to a lost and sinning humanity. The door not only stands ajar for returning prodigals, but is also open to His faithful children. We need often to heed his call.
The text is an overarching call to any and all who need Divine acceptance and provision. I can visualize, in human terms, our Heavenly Father sitting in one of our living room chairs with arms extended to us. He is saying, “Please share your problems with me. Let’s sit down together and talk about it. You don’t have to draw away from me. I have everything you need at my disposal and I want to share it with you. Let’s reason this matter out. Where else can you find forgiveness for sin? Through whom else can wrongs be made right? Have you erred and failed at some, or even many, points in your life. I have the answer to you need.”
In the invitation of the text, the words ring out to all of us, “Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” God’s grace reaches across the span of time to all sinners and all failing humanity, declaring cleansing and peace, “Come now, and let us reason together says the Lord Your sins have been taken away, as far away as the east from the west, and cast into the sea of God’s forgetfulness!” Invitation RSVP; you are invited, please respond!
This same seeking, inviting Lord, sought out Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden following their sinful disobedience to God’s demands. Earth’s parents had all of creation at their disposal. They had access to an unbelievable variety of foods. It included every plant of the field, every herb, and the fruit of every tree except for one; “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” A malignant intruder, the serpent, a servant and representative of Satan, appeared. This reprehensible character maligned God’s integrity and caused Eve, then Adam to doubt God’s word that death would follow should they eat this forbidden fruit. They disobeyed big time and their glory changed to shame. Fig leaves could not hide their sin.
God came calling, “Adam, Adam, where art thou Adam?” God kept his word and earth’s first human parents died; spiritually at first, and then later, physically. In that call from a seeking, inviting Lord, came the first promise of redemption. Substitutionary sacrifice was made in their behalf and their sin was covered. The first word of a Coming Redeemer was revealed. This promise of a redeemer was designed to save all of mankind, and that redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ. The call in Eden’s Garden was the first of many calls to follow through the ages. They are registered in the biblical record. Jesus underscored this in Luke 19:10. There He declares “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”. It is our personal responsibility, each and every on\e of us, to respond to his invitation. This invitation is still being heralded. It is incumbent upon each of us to prepare to meet our God. We each have to answer for ourselves.
The call is not limited to the struggling sinner. It is for the needy who place their trust in God. What a precious invitation is sent to you and to me in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Annie Johnson Flint wrote it so beautifully, “His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men. For, out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.”
While pastoring in South Jersey some years ago, I was driving on the North/South freeway going into Philadelphia. I saw a most touching sign. It was a 4X8 piece of plywood wired to a backyard fence bordering the highway. Crudely painted on the sign was the poignant message, “Doris, Please come home. The children and I love you”, Signed, Bill. Apparently some broken-hearted father and husband went public, hoping his loved one would travel that busy freeway and would read his pathetic appeal. He longed for reconciliation. Perhaps Doris would read it. Perhaps some mutual friend of hers would see it and carry the message to her: “Doris, please come home, the children and I love you, signed Bill.” Although not often done, Bill went public with his heart. I don’t know whatever became of that heroic effort.
Printed in more than 1,000 dialects, the Bible delivers a similar message. In this blessed book God tells straying humanity that He loves them, and wants them, that He is reaching out to them. There is another sign. It is not a crudely painted message on a piece of plywood fastened to a backyard fence. It is on an old rugged, wooden cross. God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is nailed to it. It carries the message, “Children, please come home. I love you, Signed Your Heavenly Father.” This invitation to turn to God, from sin, from straying, from unbelief, from pain, from sorrow, from need of every description etched in the words of the text, “Come now and let us reason together says the Lord.”
Jesus illustrates his concern by telling us that he is the seeking, searching shepherd calling you and me. Luke 15:4-32 records a three part parable taught by Jesus. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This one tells us how the Lord deals with lost things. The three parts deal with a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. They are all sought and found. Their discovery and rescue ends with scenes of rejoicing. Time permits us only to examine one; the lost sheep.
The shepherd had 100 sheep. Ninety nine were safe in the fold. One had strayed and went far from the shepherd and faced a dire end. At the jeopardy of his own life, the shepherd seeks and finds the lost sheep and returns it safely to be numbered with the 99. Unconfined joy reigned in the sheep corral. It is a picture of Jesus seeking the lost, finding the straying, bringing them home, restoring them and bringing joy to all who were in the shepherd’s watch care. This story is amplified in John chapter ten where Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Ira Sankey, who sang in Dwight L. Moody’s Evangelistic campaigns in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, wrote a vibrant hymn, “The Ninety And Nine”. Many thousands turned to Christ in those days.
“There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains, wild and bare, away from the tender Shepherd’s care; Away from the tender shepherd’s care.
“Lord, thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; are they not enough for thee?
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of mine has wandered away from me.”
“And altho’ the road is rough and steep, I go to the desert to find my sheep; I go to the desert to find my sheep.
Sing next two verses.
“But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed’
Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through ‘ere He found his sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry, sick and helpless and ready to die; sick and helpless and ready to die.
“But all through the mountains, thunder driv’n, and up from the rocky steep;
There arose a glad cry to the gates of Heaven, Rejoice I have found my sheep.
And the Angels echoed around the throne;
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own, Rejoice for the Lord brings back his own!”
Yes, friends, Jesus Christ endured the agony of crucifixion; He died an atoning death to bring us back to God.
On the cross Jesus invited, and welcomed a repentant thief in to paradise. Upon his resurrection Jesus sent for Peter who had failed Him miserably. This disciple received Jesus personal invitation and was restored. He became the chief spokesman for the early church. That call, that invitation still comes in the words of Jesus, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and him with me”. Revelation 3:20. “And the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”, and let him who hears, “Come!”. And let him who thirsts “Come!” And whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.
Let us take another look at “Invitation RSVP.” Going up the scale, with a simple family picnic to a wedding reception, to a Golden Wedding Anniversary, to a presidential state dinner to a Royal’s dinner in Buckingham Palace, the demand for a response rises higher. Now, think about it; when the gates of heaven are flung wide open, and each one, and all of us are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, all the invited guests who have responded will be there. You and I have been invited. The bridegroom is the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride is his church, that body of people who have received the Invitation RSVP and who have accepted the invitation. What are you, are we, going to do about it? Will you be there? You can be! This entreaty is found in uncounted Bible passages. Believe it! Act on it! You and I have everything to gain and nothing to lose by doing so!
“”I owed a debt I could not pay. He paid a debt he did not owe; I needed someone to take my sin away.
And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace.
He paid a debt for me that I could never pay” (author unknown to me).
In this thanksgiving season it is only right for us to respond to God’s overtures of love and His offer of eternal salvation. He opened the door for us and beckons us to enter. Thank Him for making possible our acceptance of his offer which allows us entrance to heaven and dwelling with the Lord and his saints forever, and forever.
Reverend Al & Joyce Bartholomew, South Glens Falls, New York