Classic Sermon Outlines (continued)
A Gracious Invitation
B. The Qualification for Acceptance of the Invitation. hey must thirst. All are welcome to Gospel grace only upon these terms, that Gospel grace is welcome to them. Those who are satisfied with the world and its enjoyments; those who depend upon the merit of their own works for righteousness; these do not thirst, they have no sense of need and therefore they will not condescend to behold Christ. Those who thirst are invited to waters as those who labor and are heavy laden are invited to Christ for rest.
2. Desire must precede the gift of grace. Where God gives grace, He first gives to thirst after it; and where He has given to thirst after it, He will give it.
II. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSONS INVITED.
A. They Are to Come to the Waters.
. Come to the waterside, to the ports, and queys, ae wharfs, on the navigable rivers into which goods are imported, thither come and buy, for that is the marketplace of foreign commodities; and to us they would have been forever foreign, if Christ had not brought in an everlasting righteousness. is a picture of comt 'Savior. Come to Christ for He is the Fountall Aenea! Hei is ee smitten ee Come to the healing waters, come to the living waters; "whosoever will let him take of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17). Our Savior referred to it when He said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John 7:37).
B. They Are to Come and Partake.
1. They are to come and buy. Come and buy, and we can assure you that you shall have a good bargain of which you will never repent nor lose by it. Come and buy; make it your own by an application of the grace of the Gospel to yourselves; make it your own upon Christ's terms and stand not hesitating about the terms or deliberating whether you shall agree to them.
2. They are to come and eat. Make it still more your own, as that which we eat is more our own than that which we only buy. We must buy the truth, not that we may lay it by to be looked at, but that we may feed and feast