South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-22
CHRISTS INVITATION AND ITS
REJECTION

i
REJECTION.
4. The Jews rejected Christ's gra-
cieaz invitation. The greatest trag-
edy in the worlds history is the cruel
| fxiOn OF Jesus Christ. and the great
est blunder ever made by any nation
was when the Jews rejected him. The
/ teaching which states that the rejec-
ton of JESUS was according TO the
original plans Of God, seems to me TO
be quite contrary TO the truth. Jesus
would never have uttered the pathetic
words Of the text. and have suffered
/ the great grief OF which these yearn-
/ ing words were born If the Jews in
| rejecting him were carrying out the
/ plan OF his heavenly Father. But
! knowing that the Jews could have ac-
cepted him, and that through their
! wick edness they were cruelty reject
/ ing him, is what grieved his loving
/ heart and made him utter this heart
rending cry Jesus had done his best to
win them, to convince them that he
was their friend. the long looked for
Messiah. and that he had come as
/ their deliverer from sin, but they
would not listen to his council nor &C
cept of his offered friendship. If the
1 leaders OF the Jews had been truly
good men and the priests were what
/ they ought to have been they would
\ have gladly received Jesus. but in
stead OF this they were bad men and
/ as Peter states they, by wicked
| hands have crucified and slain" him.
.. The rejection of Jesus Is always
/ disastrous. If the many who are liv-
/ ing in sin through rejecting Jesus,
1 only knew what a blunder they are
making and realized its dire results,
| they would Immediately turn from
/ their wicked ways and accept OF
/ Christ at his loving offer The trOu-
BILE is there is such a fascination and
! delusion in living in sin, that men cry
| peace, peace, when there is no peace.
/ They think they are well fed while
/ they are starving, that they are
clothed when they are naked, that
/ they are in health when they are
stricken with a dreadful malady. If
/ you will but convince yourselves OF
| the facts, and OF the disastrous conse-
| quence Of rejecting Christ you will.
| while ] speak. accept him, and il
will be to the joy and gladness of
your SOU. The rejection of Jesus
means the rejection Of all that is
noble and good: il means trading
| gold for dross. missing the substance
and grasping at the shadow of life.
/ Great peace have they who love Jesus
/
who turn their back upon him. 1t is
therefore the highest wisdom to ac-
| cept of Christ. You need to give up
only the things that are harmful in
! any event. and If you will do this. and
surrender to Jesus, ii will be the hap
piest day Of your life.
3. Christs heart still yearns over
sinners. Whoever depicts God our
| heavenly Father or Jesus our Saw
ou n nr cfa ar m
or demanding the impossible or be-
ing unsympathetic. are greatly mis-
leading those who believe their words.
The best explanation of God ever
given are in the words of scripture.
God is love-. and this too is a defni-
ton. of the character OF Jesus. for he
| so loved sinners that he gave his life
that they may not perish but receive
everlasting life. The love of Jesus is
frequently compared to a mothers
! love. but while a mothers love is the
purest and noblest of all human love,
II does not begin to compare with the
| strength or purity of the love of Jesus
for sinners. Think OF his matches
! words which are echoing down the
| centuries and which is heard in every
| sinners heart, Come unto me, all We
that labor and are heavy laden. and I
Will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you. and learn of me; for / am meek
and lowly IN heart: and we shall find
rest unto your soul. For my yoke is
easy. and my burden is light"
4. Come to- Jesus. There are no
words i'm the English language fraught
with so much importance as the
words. Come TO Jesus. We may
paraphrase them as come to the light:
come to happiness: enter into peace
and Joy: take possession of the vast
estate which has been bequeathed to
you, quit your sins and take on the
holiness of Christ: give up your fail
ures and enter into life long success
In fact come TO Jesus is an invitation
to everything that is good. The &C
ceptance OF this invitation stands for
the eternal friendship of God and
the eternal welfare of your soul in
heaven The acceptance of this invi-
tation is ell important because the
time and the opportunity for accept
ance are fast passing away. Behold
now is the accepted time, and today
is the day Of salvation. Delays are
always dangerous. and he who hest
tates is generally lost even To human
or temporal opportunities. The bust
ness maxim do il now. is just the
thing 20 do in accepting this advice to
, come to Jesus. l beg of you whether
you are Young or Oh, or rich or poor,
great sinner. or little sinner. that you
now accept of the loving invitation TO
Jesus your Saviour, Come unto me
all ye that labor and are heavy laden
and l viii give you rest
WHERE SHE WAS AT