June 10, 2002

Thomas challenges SBC messengers to extend God's invitation to a lost world
___By Lonnie Wilkey
___Baptist & Reflector
___ST. LOUIS--Texas pastor Claude Thomas challenged messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention to extend God's invitation to become a part of the only kingdom in the world that will never fail.
___ In the convention sermon June 11, Thomas, pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, Texas, noted that "kingdoms rise, and kingdoms fall. Business empires flourish, and business kingdoms fail. Financial kingdoms rise, and financial kingdoms fall. Religious kingdoms rise, and religious kingdoms fall. Political kingdoms rise, and political kingdoms fall.
___ "But there is one kingdom that is reliable, one kingdom that is unshakable, one kingdom that is invincible, one kingdom that is eternal, one kingdom that will never fall--and it is the kingdom of God and his Christ," Thomas told messengers to the June 11-12 SBC annual meeting.
___ As a young man, Thomas said, he grappled with the concept of the kingdom of God. Finally, he concluded "the kingdom of God is the righteous rule of God that has been supremely made known in and through Jesus Christ, God's Son and our sovereign Savior."
___ When Jesus came into the world, he already had the kingdom on his heart, Thomas said., noting that Gospel writers record Jesus using the word "kingdom" 85 times.
___ Jesus came to introduce the kingdom of God, his preaching centered on the theme of the gospel of the Kingdom, the greatest sermon he preached called people to seek first the kingdom of God, and the model prayer Jesus taught instructed his followers to pray for the kingdom to come, Thomas said.
___ "Jesus came with the kingdom of God on his heart. And tonight, Southern Baptists, we want to leave this place with the kingdom on our hearts."
___ Basing his sermon on the parable of the banquet found in Luke 14:15-24, Thomas suggested what Christians will do if they have the kingdom of God on their hearts: They will extend an invitation that comes from the Master's heart and have a passion to share it.
___ "We need to understand that we are the servants of the King. And we are not inviting people to a funeral but to a feast," he declared.
___ "What people need and want most in life--love, forgiveness, peace, joy, security, contentment and hope--they find only at the table of the Lord."
___ Explaining that the master in the parable repeatedly sent out his servants to bring people into his house for the celebration, Thomas observed: "People with the kingdom of God on their hearts are passionate about getting others to the table of their King."
___ He recounted a story recently published in Commission magazine about an elderly man who went to evangelize a village where no one followed Jesus. He went to one home three times and was beaten on each visit. Then he went back a fourth time, and the owner did not oppose him. He listened, and the whole family prayed to place their faith in Jesus Christ.
___ "One person with a passion will accomplish more than a hundred with an interest," Thomas said.
___ "We need to leave here with the kingdom on our hearts and a passion to extend the invitation until everyone has been invited and the house of God is filled."
___

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