Grace tells us that…
God still speaks of an invitation for all.
A. as a means to show us to the place of worship (Read verse 1)
This invitation is an invitation that is meant to bring people running cheerfully with a sparkle in their eye to the temple of God. God’s place of worship is high and lifted up and can only be found in the heart. It is chief among mountains because it is the foundation of our worship. As Jesus says, we are to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
We represent the family or house of God. This means God has granted us access into His family by His choice. That invitation currently stands open but one day that door will close and no more invitations will be issued. Until that time, the message of hope must spread throughout the nations.
This idea was not new to Micah. In Psalm 86:9 (one of many such verses)…
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. Psalms 86:9 (NIV)
B. as a method of teaching His truth (Read verse 2)
People are seeking truth, but they prefer to see Christians who are authentic and genuine. They want to meet Christians living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and living in God’s design.
My father-in-law just returned from his second mission trip to Uganda. One of the most memorable persons from his first trip was one of the first people he mentions from his second trip: the music minister.
This music minister travels 80 miles one way and races the missionaries to each village in order to assemble the people in a celebratory song as they enter the village. Now that seems all good and well. Most of us can travel pretty well throughout the United States, but this music minister travels by bicycle. And to top it off, he wanted the missionaries to meet his wife, so she rode with him on that one bike for eighty miles - on dirt roads!
People streamed in to hear the gospel message. People streamed into those meetings to worship God. People streamed in because knowing the real truth was worth the effort in the hot sun and dry desert. They accepted the invitation of God the Father to meet the Son.
There is no greater witness to me of God’s invitation to grace than to hear of those who risk all to be God’s witness to others because they understand God’s grace and enjoy doing all He asks of them. I am totally blessed every time I hear of someone who makes time to extend the invitation to others to experience the one true God in worship.
God’s influence in our lives shows when the truth is also in us, and we should be glad to respond to His call to invite others to Him. The simplest way to do this is to simply invite someone to church and be sincere about it. You can extend invitation to your family, to your friends, to your neighbors, and to your co-workers.
When we work together, we can come to a place of worship and grow the family of God in the process. God promises the streams of people, but to get it flowing, He is looking to us to become workers in the field of harvest.
How much does His grace mean to you? If the truth is in you, people will be more open to hear what God has to say to them. How available are you to God's plan of invitation?
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