"Introduce Now Valiantly Invitation Towards Emmanuel! (I.N.V.I.T.E)"

By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

February 20, 2008

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Observations:
I asked myself what are the actions of Jesus?

1. Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house with his disciples.

2. Jesus was eating with many tax collectors and “sinners”.

3. Jesus hears the Pharisees remarks and responds.

 Observations/Interpretations:

I asked myself what is the significance of Jesus eating dinner at Levi’s house?

Point 1: Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house with his disciples.

I found it significant because Jesus had just met Levi who was a tax collector. Jesus had invited him to follow Him. Jesus does not end it there but gets involved in the life of Levi by having dinner at Levi's house now when Levi follows Jesus and invites Jesus to his house to have dinner. It does not end there as is evident by point 2.

Point 2: Jesus was eating with many tax collectors and “sinners”.

When Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his house, it was not a single invitation. Levi goes and invites all of his friends including his tax collector friends and “sinners” to dine with him so they could also dine with Jesus who Levi wanted them to meet. Jesus could have left after seeing who he was eating with but remains there and continues to eat. Jesus does not JUDGE who He was with when Jesus could have easily passed JUDGMENT and it would have been in His right being  HOLY!

Yet, Jesus does not! Jesus does not make Levi who He invited to be His disciple feel uncomfortable. Jesus takes Levi's invitation to go where He was at. Even if it meant being among a lot of tax collectors and sinners. Even though Jesus is eating with Levi and the other dinner guests, the Pharisees have a problem with this. This is evident by point 3.

Point 3: Jesus hears the Pharisees remarks and responds.

When Jesus heard that the teachers of the law who were Pharisees were asking his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?", Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

It is so interesting that Jesus addresses the Pharisees directly about His willingness to eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’ because He is indirectly telling them that He is the Great Physician that can heal them. For that to happen, He wants to also spend time with them. No matter where the dinner guests have come from Jesus wants the Pharisees to know He is there for them. The other side of it is that Jesus is also telling the Pharisees that He did not come for the healthy.

This makes me think that Jesus is alluding to the fact that those who think they are good (a.k.a Pharisees), Jesus did not come for them because they already think they have it all together even though they don’t.

Implications:

I saw important implications for our lives. It is so easy to JUDGE and pass JUDGMENT on others. I learned if people are set in their ways, we can JUDGE them all we want but it is not going to change them. Jesus knew sinners and tax collectors were set in their ways and only His love and compassion can heal them from this virus known as sin that has captivated them. To do that as a GREAT PHYSICIAN, Jesus decided to spend time with them. Whoa!

When my dad was seriously ill starting on October 7th and in the ICU for more than 24 days, my mom was with him everyday and I was close by in the hospital almost 24-7. When my dad was moved to a nursing home that could handle a tracheotomy, dialysis, peg tube, etc, my mom was with my dad everyday and read to him the New Testament multiple times. The time my mom spent with my dad and the prayers of all the brothers and sisters in Christ including our family's prayers is what I believe made my daddy give his life to Christ before he went to be with Jesus on the night of December 17, 2007. We thank the Lord Jesus that my dad does not have to suffer anymore even though we miss him very much. My dad's memoriam is on the right side bar.

The reason I am on Pitt campus working in food services is so I can impact a lot of students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through my actions even if I don't utter the name of Jesus Christ with every student I come across.

Even if one person's life is changed, it is worth it. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to see how loving people without JUDGING them can bring more powerful results that we cannot even fathom at times.

The sinners and tax collectors may have never come on their own to meet with Jesus. Levi took initiative to invite them to his house and then Jesus was also there for all of them to meet.  I would say, all that were there with Jesus were changed except the Pharisees because they thought they had it together. They did not look at the LOG in their own eyes before looking at the SPECK in the tax collector's and sinner's eyes.

When you are sick, you need to acknowledge that you are sick to have a doctor look at you and heal you. Jesus is the Doctor and He is there to heal. When we are humble and acknowledge where we are at, Jesus values that. The Pharisees thought that they had it together and wanted to distance themselves from the tax-collectors and “sinners” of that day. Jesus would have none of that! Jesus reminds them that He came to seek and save the lost (a.k.a. sick) not those who see themselves as healthy.

I learned from Levi that when Jesus invited him to be His follower, Levi does not ignore those he knew before following Jesus. Rather, he invites them all to have dinner with Jesus. In essence, Levi was having an evangelistic dinner so other tax collectors and sinners could have an encounter with Jesus. I too need to let others know about Jesus as Levi did so that they too can have a personal encounter with Jesus.

I ask you now dear friends, who do you invite to Jesus?
Dear friends, when Levi was invited by Jesus to follow Him, Levi not only followed Jesus but invited others who are like him to his house so they too can have an encounter with Jesus. If you are a believer in Christ, you have the wonderful opportunity to invite those that do not know Jesus to have an encounter with Jesus. Yes, you can!

How much does Jesus mean to you?

Does He mean so much to you that you are willing to go the extra step so you can help all your friends who do not know Jesus have Jesus as their Great Physician in there lives?

If Jesus means so much to you, don’t you want others to experience the love of Jesus and have them encounter Jesus?

I know I do! You can too! For Jesus came to seek and save the lost! Jesus did not ignore the other tax collectors and sinners who were dining with Jesus at Levi’s house. When you bring your friends to Jesus who do not know Jesus, He will not ignore them.

In this day, there are many ways to do that to help your friends have an encounter with Jesus. We can do our part and leave the results in Jesus’ Helping Hands. He is the Great Physician who will attend to them as we introduce them to Jesus.

ANALOGY OF INVITING PEOPLE TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN:

It’s like an ambulance taking sick people to the hospital. People are dying and there is an emergency because of an epidemic virus. The ambulance takes the initiative to go to the place people are dying and bring them to the hospital. They are not dead yet but there is no time to wait. The ambulance needs to get to the hospital for that virus to be treated. The virus has infected the mind, body, and soul spreading rapidly. You and I cannot do anything to heal our friends of this virus except be the AMBULANCE taking them to the HOSPITAL where the GREAT PHYSICIAN waits.

Once at the hospital, there is a GREAT PHYSICIAN that waits. The sick are gathered from all corners of the earth and come to this hospital.  This hospital is called CALVARY OF SALVATION and the EMERGENCY WARD is called GOLGOTHA.

The GREAT PHYSICIAN is not like other doctors who can only treat patients with  physical ailments but this GREAT PHYSICIAN is much more and knows He has to stay 72 HOURS for every dying person there to be healed.

He knows what He has to do! This GREAT PHYSICIAN knew that only His BLOOD can wipe away this epidemic VIRUS, so for you and me He went to the blood transfusion room where people were about to die. There He lay down on the bed  made of wood.

The surgeons walk into the room. They turn this GREAT PHYSICIAN on His back.  Instead of using an IV, a WHIP with sharp glass, etc is used to draw out the BLOOD from the GREAT PHYSICIAN'S back! It does not stop there but to elevate the head on the bed of wood, a CROWN OF THORNS is used which draws more BLOOD.

As the head is elevated, the GREAT PHYSICIAN's hands are stretched wide on the wooden bed. Then the feet are bound together. This is done for the BLOOD transfusion to begin. Instead of using an IV, NAILS and a HAMMER is used. The NAILS are pounded through the hands into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so the BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. The NAILS are pounded through the feet into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so more BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. As the BLOOD continues to flow from the GREAT PHYSICIAN's body, the GREAT PHYSICIAN flat lines. Then the surgeons insert a SPEAR into the heart to make sure all the BLOOD is out. All the BLOOD is out!

Now, the GREAT PHYSICIAN is moved into the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE being guarded by security.

Now the CALVARY OF SALVATION hospital has a BLOOD DONOR whose BLOOD can be used to save everyone there from this EPIDEMIC VIRUS. 

Those dying need to be taken there to receive the BLOOD transfusion that is available. However, the BLOOD will not be forced upon those dying! THE PUREST RED ANTIDOTE is only given to those that are willing to receive the BLOOD TRANSFUSION so they could LIVE.

All that accept the BLOOD are being CLEANSED of this EPIDEMIC VIRUS in their system that is infecting the mind, body, and soul.  This BLOOD goes into the dying person's mind, body, and soul and eats away at the virus cleaning them and making them pure. This VIRUS is known as SIN. The BLOOD is the PRECIOUS CLEANSING BLOOD OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, JESUS CHRIST.

72 HOURS LATER, there is a commotion at the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE. THE GREAT PHYSICIAN is not there anymore and the ANGELS that visit tell loved ones who came there, that THE GREAT PHYSICIAN IS ALIVE.

Those at the HOSPITAL OF CALVARY come to realize that His CLEANSING BLOOD will never run out. Anyone infected and wants to be healed and accept what Jesus did for them and be covered in His precious CLEANSING BLOOD will be healed by the antidote.

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and if you were the only one living on earth, Jesus would have done the same for you. What I shared with you was an analogy but in real life it has happened. Jesus went to the cross for you and me and His precious cleansing blood was shed so you and I could have life. Jesus came back to life 72 hours later and is alive but His blood continues to heal people on every corner of the earth to those that accept Him.

You have the wonderful opportunity to bring the dying to Jesus if you know Jesus already. If you do not know Jesus, you can come to Him and receive His healing in your life.

Won't you my friends? Won't you do that?

Once we introduce them, we have to let Jesus handle the rest. We need to do our part but it is Jesus that makes the seed grow inside a person. He has already paid the price to set us free. We need to accept it!

There are different ways we can invite others to Jesus and I want to share them with you. These are not exhaustive but what I have found to be helpful:

1. J.E.S.U.S group (Jesus Empowering Students Under Scripture)

2. Evangelistic Bible Studies/ Seeker sensitive Bible studies/Investigative Bible Studies/GIG's (Groups Investigating God)

3. Evangelistic movies

4. Testimonies.

5. Relational Evangelism/Friendship Evangelism

You have the opportunity to invite those who do not know Jesus to encounter Jesus!

Jesus loves you so much and paid the price to set you free. If you were the only one living, I still believe Jesus would have done the same for you. You are never out of His love, never out of His reach.

May you experience the love of Jesus Christ in a most powerful way! Amen!

“Introduce Now Valiantly Invitation Towards Emmanuel! (I.N.V.I.T.E)"/"Who do you invite to Jesus?”

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus thank you so much for dining with Levi and his friends. You do not make his friends seem like outcasts. You knew they were not healthy spiritually and came to heal them of their sickness. I thank you Lord for coming into this world to bring your healing to humanity. Thank you for all those who you invite to be part of your Kingdom. Oh Lord, I believe when you went to the cross for us, you made an invitation to humanity to come to you. Thank you for being our GREAT PHYSICIAN! Thank you Lord those that come to you, you will not turn away. I thank you Jesus for dying for our sin and coming back to life to save us. Help us to remember what you did for us! Help us to live for you and serve you all the days of our lives and invite our friends who do not know you to come to encounter you. Guide us and please lead us reminding us that it is you who are the Great Physician. Help us to do our part and leave the results in your Helping Hands. I thank you that your precious cleansing blood was shed for humanity. You took all our pain and sins and by your wounds and stripes we are healed. Help us Jesus please! Thank you Jesus for everything. We entrust our lives to you. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Dear Jesus, thank you for healing the paralytic after forgiving his sins. He set him free to go home. I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin everyday. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem humanity. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation.  In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Friend, if you have prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave you nor forsake you! Amen!