"YOU'RE INVITED TO A HANGIN'!"

PSALM 69:1-5

We've received all sorts of invitations. Invitations to weddings, receptions, and showers. We have been invited to parties, banquets, picnics and bar-b-ques. I recently received an invitation to participate on Jury duty beginning April 5. Some invitations we can pick and choose; some, like the latter, are more a mandate than an invitation. Jesus frequently issued invitations. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. When Jesus walked on water, Peter said, "If it is You, command me to come to You on the water!" And He said, "Come!" Matthew 14:28, 29. In Matthew 17:17 when the disciples were unable to cast a demon out of a boy, Jesus said, "Bring him here to Me." Once Jesus said to His overwrought and weary disciples, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while." Mark 6:31. After the Resurrection, Jesus prepared fish for His disciples and said, "Come and have breakfast." John 21:12. "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." Revelation 22:17. But perhaps the greatest invitation of all will be when we hear the King say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34. Today I want to tell you, "You're invited to a hangin'!" Come and hang needless encumbrances.

• COME, HANG YOUR BURDENS ON THE CROSS: VV1-4:
• David has expressed the cry of the burdened heart. Consider his burden:
• He feels that he is about to be inundated and overwhelmed.
• He is depressed and weary from his weeping.
• He faces injustice and enemies who are too many and too powerful for him.
• For years Everett was burdened with the memory of a college prank that had cost the life of one of his college chums. He was oppressed with nightmares and depression. He could not shake the memory. His work suffered, his relationship with his wife deteriorated, his health declined. He denied himself the joy of living. He was burdened!
• Did you ever feel like that? Have you ever felt that the weight of the whole world rested on your shoulders? That the burdens of life would mercilessly grind you into the dust? You might be interested in knowing that this is a Messianic Psalm. This is a Psalm that looked ahead prophetically to the sufferings, injustices, sorrows and alienation Jesus would experience 1,000 years later. Jesus Himself would endure such burdens. Maybe you labor under the heaviness of
• Fear and anxiety. The violence of our society, the corruption in our systems, failing health, the hype about computer crashes in the year 2,000 have you in a dither.
• Emptiness and futility. You can make a living but have not made a life; you have a house but your home is in disarray, you have a bank account but are bankrupt in terms of peace and joy.
• Doubt and uncertainty. Does God really love you? Can He really make a difference in your life? Can He accept you as you are and transform you?
• Pain and anguish. It hurts just to roll out of bed; each step you take is a marathon, climbing a porch is like scaling Mt. Everest.
• Burdened heart, there is release and help:
• "Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall we drink?' Or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33.
• "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.
• "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." John 14:1.
• "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6, 7.
• In "The Pilgrim's Progress" we read of Christian going up a highway and coming to a cross and a sepulchre. Bunyan wrote that "just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do so till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. When God releases us of our guilt and burden, we are as those that leap for joy."
• Isaac Watts penned these words; let's sing them together: "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!"

You're invited to a hangin' -- come, hang your burdens on the cross! But there may be something else that needs crucifying in your life.

• COME, HANG YOUR SHAME ON THE CROSS: V5:
• David knew of his own folly and knew that God was also aware of it. He could recall many foolish things he had done of which he was ashamed. And he had much of which to be ashamed.
• As a father, David was no model and turned his own sons away from him, probably through neglect. It is possible this Psalm comes from the time of Absalom's rebellion!
• As a King he had abused his power and authority for sexual pleasure and to cover up his sin.
• Just so, Everett, who had participated in the deadly college prank, was not only burdened with the liability of it, but was deeply ashamed of his senseless stupidity! How could he have been so moronic, mad and idiotic?
• And, we may well ask, how could we? How could we
• Have said such harsh and cutting things to and about others?
• Have neglected expressing our love to others while the chance existed instead of lamenting that it is now too late?
• Have ruined our reputation and forfeited our integrity for a moment's pleasure?
• Have violated our honor and for years have lived a lie?
• We may have much of which to be ashamed, but there is hope!
• God will answer the prayer of one who says with David, "Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in Thee." Psalms 25:20.
• Edwin Orr has penned this prayer; let's listen as John sings it: "Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; cleanse me from every sin, and set me free. I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin; Fulfill Thy Word and make me pure within. Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame; grant my desire to magnify Thy name."

You're invited to a hangin' -- come, hang your burdens and your shame on the cross! But there may be something else that needs to be hung there!

• COME, HANG YOUR SIN ON THE CROSS: V5:
• David knew that God not only knew his foolishness but knew his sin as well. His reckless living was not only indiscreet it was also ungodly.
• Similarly, Everett was ashamed of his foolhardy act which had killed his college friend. He knew that his action was not only plain stupid, it was sinful. He had treated a human life with disrespect and disregarded all the rules of sound judgment. He confessed his sin over and over to God but found no relief from his guilt.
• Let's get honest here; let's call a spade a spade!  I want to remove all harshness and rancor from my voice here.  I have no axe to grind.  But imagine going to your doctor who discovers you have a deadly, but cureable disease, and so as not to offend or upset you tells you that you have exzema and that it will go away. Yes, it will -- when you die. Truth spoken in love is crucial.
• Sin is not an accident or a mistake, it is violation of God's Law.
• An affair is not romance, it is plain adultery! Sex outside marriage is fornication! Illicit desire for one not your spouse is lust.
• Cheating is not cleverness, it is dishonesty and theft.
• Our moral failures are not just human weaknesses they are missing the mark, they are transgressions, they are iniquitous, they are sin!
• And God will judge sin! But that's not the end of the story!
• David said, "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." Psalms 103:10.
• Paul said, "it is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." 1 Timothy 1:15.
• And John Peterson wrote these words; sing them will you? "Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's family divine, justified fully through Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine! And the transaction so quickly was made when as a sinner I came, took of the offer of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear Name. Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, when at the cross the Savior made me whole; my sins were washed away and my night was turned to day, heaven came down and glory filled my soul!"

One day the mother of Everett's dead friend was in town and stopped to see him. It had been years and she wanted to find out how things were in his life. He couldn't look her in the face, and when she found out he was carrying his load of remorse, she was astounded. She assured him that she had forgiven him long ago and had no ill feelings to him. She reminded him that God was also willing to erase this terrible ordeal from his life and from his record. His heart broke before her and he wept out his grief -- but a new hope replaced it. That can happen to you, too. You're invited to a hangin' -- come, hang your burdens and your shame and your sin on the cross! Jesus will meet you there. The cross reaches up to the infinite love of the Heavenly Father; it reaches down to the depths of our burdens, shame and sin. It reaches out to the widest needs of our lives -- and we can come, assured that we will be welcomed by the One Who was willing to forgive us long ago and has no ill feelings toward us. You're invited to a hangin' -- come and hang there all that troubles you and keeps you from enjoying the Life Jesus came to give. You can freely come because there's room at the cross for you!

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