COME UNTO ME

READING: John 12:28-36

28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will
glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou,
The Son of man must be lifted up ? who is this Son of man?
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness
come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and
departed, and did hide himself from them.

Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. “Come:” To move or journey to a place with a specified purpose.

I. MANY CAME TO HIM.

A. Not all came because of faith, but with a purpose.
1. John 6:3-5 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover,
a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come
unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

2. John 6:24-27
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and
came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou
hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles,
but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the
Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

3. Mark 10:17-22
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him,
Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false
witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell
whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come , take up
the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
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B. But faith did come from surprising places.

1. Matt 8:5-10
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to
another, Come , and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found
so great faith, no, not in Israel.

II. CHRIST CRIES OUT, PLEASE COME!

A. He had come to save a world that, for the most part, did not want to be saved.
1. Luke 8:4-8
4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a
parable:
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and
the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these
things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

2. John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never
hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

3. John 6:47-51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that
bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which
cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will
give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

4. John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of
his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

III. CHRIST INVITES US TO COME TO HIM IN THE SAME MANNER THAT HE CAME TO US.
A. Denying self.
1. Matt 16:21-26
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer
many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
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26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give
in exchange for his soul?
2. *Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow me.

B. Devoted.
1. Luke 14:26-33
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have
sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be
able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

2. Heb 12:18-29
18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness,
and darkness, and tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word
should not be spoken to them any more:
20(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall
be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to
an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the
Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better
things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much
more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth
only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are
made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
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IV. THE INVITATION STANDS.

A. To everyone, everywhere, no matter how far away.
1. Heb 7:24-25
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.

2. Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come . And let him that heareth say, Come. And
let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

B. A personal invitation to some to spend eternity in heaven.

1. Matt 25:31-40
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye
took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty,
and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.