Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - No Vacancy - #4946

Monday, December 26, 2005

My wife and I got a late start when we were driving to North Carolina, and with a twelve-hour drive from New Jersey to cover, we thought we'd better make a motel reservation somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. We rolled in pretty late, and we saw this disgruntled looking man leaving the lobby and heading for his car, and it was not the look of a man who had just received good news. When I got up to the check-in desk, there was no one there - just a sign that said, "Back in a few minutes." I don't really know how long that is in Virginia time. While I was waiting, several more weary travelers rolled in and started forming a line behind me. The clerk finally reappeared, only to be greeted by a line of interstate zombies in urgent need of a room. I had a guaranteed reservation so I was OK. But when she asked and found out that no one else did, she uttered those dreaded words, "I'm sorry. No vacancy."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Vacancy."

Now, those two words are tough words to be welcomed with. Just ask Jesus. Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 1:12 where it says, "Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him." Jesus comes to people He created and they have no room for Him in their lives. That started the night He was born. His father and about-to-deliver mother were desperate for a room, but the innkeeper put out that sign that said, "No vacancy." Well, that sign has greeted Jesus many times when He's knocked on the door of a human heart - maybe yours.

This verse says, "His own did not receive him." He has a double claim to your heart. First, He made you. He has the right of creation. Secondly, He paid for you. The Bible says there's an eternal death penalty hanging over every one of our heads. The Bible says, "The soul that sins, it will die" (Ezekiel 18:4 ). We are all the soul that sins. We've all taken charge of a life that God gave us and that He was supposed to run. We've earned that death penalty for that sin, and God could have left it that way. But instead, in an incredible act of His total love for you and me, in the Bible's words, "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life." (John 3:16 )

And now the One who died for you knocks on the door of your heart again - but not forever. One day you will, in a sense, be knocking on the door of heaven, and if you have never opened your heart to Jesus to become your own Savior from your own sin, well, "no vacancy" there for those who had "no vacancy" for Him here.

I pray the rest of this verse in John 1:12 will be about you this very day: "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." If you have left Jesus outside and you don't want to risk turning Him away one more time, I pray that this will be the day you will say, "Jesus, there's room in my heart from You. You died on a cross for me. You were powerful enough to walk out of your grave under your own power. I know you're alive. And I ask you today on the basis of your death for me, to forgive my sin and welcome me into your family as I welcome You into my heart." Now, if that's a commitment you are ready to make, you've got room in your heart for Jesus. You have kept Him out long enough. This is your day to let Him in.

I want to encourage you in that commitment and I want to invite you to come to our website. It's yourforlife.net, and there you can either read or you can listen to a very simple presentation of how to begin this relationship. Or if you'd like to get Yours For Life in print, call us toll free at 877-741-1200.

The Son of God's waited in line for a long time, maybe He's knocked many times, but every time He's knocked you've been busy - you've been distracted. Every time He's been greeted with, "Sorry, no vacancy." Today, open your heart to Jesus and say, "Lord, you died for me. You come on in."