JESUS IS AN INVITER AND SO AM I

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MEETING AGENDA

  1. OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
  2. GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
  3. ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
  4. TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
  5. GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on the App.
  6. CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.

GROWTH QUESTION #1

Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?

GROWTH QUESTION #2

What did you learn from this week’s sermon?

GROWTH QUESTION #3

What was your most important accomplishment this week?


introduction

  • One invitation can change someone’s life forever.

  • Think about it: many of us are here today because someone invited us—to church, a Bible study, a DG, or simply to meet Jesus.

  • God Himself is an inviter. Throughout Scripture, He is constantly inviting people to come to Him.

  • When we become followers of Jesus, we become inviters too.

  • Today we are going to discover the power of an invitation—and how God can use one simple invitation to change someone’s eternity.

Truth #1

GOD INVITES SINNERS TO COME TO HIM.

Isaiah 1:18 (CEV) - I, the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.

  • God invites sinners to come to Him to receive forgiveness, freedom and a new life!
  • A sinner is someone who has walked away from God, disobeying His commands.
  • The consequence of sin is misery, addiction and an eternity doomed in hell.
  • God doesn’t want sinners to run from Him but run to Him.
  • God is the one initiating the reconciliation of our relationship with Him through inviting us to come to Him.
  • We need to be the initiators, just like God.
  • No one will come to God unless they are invited.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Why do you think people sometimes run from God when they have sinned instead of running to Him?

truth #2

JESUS INVITES THE TIRED TO COME TO HIM AND RECEIVE REST.

Matthew 11:28 (EXB) - “Come to me, all of you who are tired and overburdened and I will give you rest.”

  • Jesus knows when we are tired, overwhelmed, and carrying more than we can handle.
  • We can become tired from grief, failure, disappointment,  discouragement, sin, and even trying to do life in our own strength.
  • Jesus does not tell the tired to try harder—He tells them to come to Him.
  • The rest Jesus gives is more than physical rest; it is recovery, strength, refreshment, peace, joy, and freedom.
  • Whatever has worn you down, Jesus is inviting you to bring it to Him and receive what only He can give.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

When you are overwhelmed, what are you usually tempted to run to for relief?

truth #3

JESUS INVITES US TO FOLLOW HIM AND BE HIS DISCIPLES.

Matthew 4:19 (AMP) - And He said. . . “Follow Me as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk, and I will make you fishers of men.”

  • Jesus invites all of us into the greatest mentoring relationship we can ever have.
  • The Creator of the universe is inviting us to have a relationship with Him where He will show us how to live the abundant life we are all searching for.
  • Jesus desires to train us to be like Him in every way.
  • A disciple is a person who has made a commitment to follow Jesus and obey all of His teachings.
  • When we do life, relationships, business, ministry, etc. like Him we will be the happiest and most successful we can be. Most importantly, we will fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, which is saving souls for eternity and making disciples to be like Him.
  • We know that we are mature disciples of Jesus when we are focused on being fishers of men - saving souls and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Why do you think Jesus connects following Him with becoming a “fisher of men?”

truth #4

JESUS CONTINUES HIS MINISTRY OF INVITING PEOPLE THROUGH US.

Luke 14:23 (AMP) - Then the master told the servant, “Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled with guests.”

  • One of the greatest ministry titles we can ever live up to is “Inviter.”
  • As a “Kingdom Inviter,” my job is to invite people to meet my King, Jesus Christ.
  • To “compel” others means to urge, make it necessary or unavoidable, to force or drag them in. It means you don’t take “no” for an answer.
  • Keep inviting them until they come! God wants the church, our DGs, our Holy Warriors Discipleship School and heaven itself to be full!
  • We need to invite others, just like the disciples and the Samaritan woman did.
  • All of Jesus’ disciples were inviters, just like when Andrew invited Peter.

John 1:41-42 (NLT) - 41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” which means “Christ.” 42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus…

  • The Samaritan woman invited her whole village to meet Jesus.

John 4:28-30 (NLT) - 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him…


INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Who is one person in your life right now that God may be asking you to invite?

ACTION STEPS:

  1. Create an invite list of 12 people who you will invite to the Soul Summer Outdoor Services on Wednesday nights. 
  2. Invite someone to register for our 21-Day Marriage Challenge in September: REGISTER NOW! 
  3. Accept the invitation to follow Jesus and receive Him as your Lord and Savior today!

Revelation 3:20(NLT) "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Jesus is knocking at your heart's door right now.  We either say yes to Jesus' invitation and open our heart's door to Him or reject His invitation. 

  • Forgiveness is knocking. Freedom is knocking. Love is knocking. 
  • Breakthrough is knocking. Eternal life is knocking. A new life is knocking. 
  • Purpose is knocking. Restoration is knocking. Success is knocking. 
  • Healing is knocking. Provision is knocking. Hope is knocking. 
  • Salvation from the misery and hell that you have been living in and headed to is knocking at your heart right now. 
  • Today is the day to accept the invitation by saying yes to Jesus! 
Accept and confess Him personally as our Lord and Savior right now!

CLOSING QUESTION

Is anyone here ready to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior right now?

GIVING

Giving generously ensures that we will have all that we need and that we become channels through which God's abundance flows to the lives of others.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Encourage everyone to give their tithes and offerings.

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PRAY

QUESTION #1

Who are you praying for to be saved?

QUESTION #2

Who can you invite to the next meeting?

QUESTION #3

What are your prayer requests?