Hurry! This offer won't last long!

September 3, 2010

Hurry! This offer won't last long!

Luke 13:31-35

Elizabeth Tamlyn

Central Truth

Christ desires for us to accept His call to salvation, but we must realize that there will be a last call. He longs to gather us up safely under His wings, but the decision is left to us. Don't be left out of eternity!

"How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!" (Luke 13:34b)

Lament over Jerusalem

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

"Call in the next 10 minutes and receive a free gift!" Have you ever heard this on a TV ad? It makes me wonder what would really happen if I called in 11 minutes? Would I still get the free gift? Is this really a firm deadline? I love a good sale, but the offers don't last forever. When they are over, they are over. So it is with God's free gift of eternal life. He has offered eternal life if we believe in the saving work Jesus has done on the cross for each of us. But we need to act today and tell others if they haven't responded.

We all have deadlines: from signing up for soccer, to paying bills, to making it to a sale on a specific date. The penalty (a late fee or missing an opportunity) usually keeps us in line. Do we have the same urgency for accepting Christ and then sharing Him with others? Whether a person dies or Christ returns, we all face an eternal deadline.

In this passage Jesus is telling us that there is a REAL deadline for accepting His grace and salvation. We can put off accepting Christ and choosing to live for Him, but eventually the offer will end. Although God is patient and wants all men to be saved, there will be a last chance.

I have accepted this wonderful gift of eternal salvation, but why don't I feel an urgency to tell others about His free gift just like I feel the compulsion to meet a deadline? I must choose to make a difference in others' lives because it's not just about eternity—the Holy Spirit offers us peace and joy today that the world cannot provide.

There are no rain checks on this offer. It won't last long! Tell others about the great deal that you have found! Quantities are UNLIMITED so there's enough for everyone! Hurry now because this offer won't last forever!

1. Have you accepted God's gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ? If not, what is keeping you from committing? Are you willing to risk missing the eternal deadline?

2. Are you putting off Christ's desires for you or choosing to live for Him? How can others tell?

3. What steps can you take to live abundantly today?

4. Do you share Christ with others as though their lives depend on it?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. If you were told someone was going to kill you, what would you do?

2. How did Jesus respond when the Pharisees told Him Herod wanted to kill him? Why did Jesus continue to do the work He was sent to do in that city?

3. Jesus trusted His Father and continued to walk the path the Father had given Him. Do you trust God with your life, even when hard things come?