Max Lucado - The Offer of a Lifetime
Summary:
The preacher wraps up a summer series on John 3:16 by sharing a personal story from 1985 when desperation over his dying father led him to accept a risky but real offer of a free flight home by carrying a courier bag. He compares this to God’s astonishing offer of eternal life through faith in Jesus—many see it as too good to be true and walk away, but in times of crisis it becomes a lifeline. The urgent conclusion is to stop hesitating, say yes to Christ with a simple prayer, go public through repentance, confession, and baptism, and secure the free passage home to the Father.
Blessing and Summer Wrap-Up
Well, God bless you. God bless you from my home to yours, from my front yard to your house. God bless you. We’re going to take a break. My team and I are beginning today. We’ll be back on September 1st. We’re not disappearing, but we are going to rest a little bit. Today, we’re wrapping up a discussion that’s really taken us a good chunk of the summer to discuss: John 3:16. The end of this passage is where Jesus promises to give us eternal life. Does such an offer appeal to you?
Invitation to Stay
If you have about five minutes, I think we can get to the heart of it. If you don’t, I sure get it. My goodness, we’ve got so many things pulling at us these days. Let us know how to pray for you, please, before you leave.
The Free Flight Offer
Here’s what the sign said: «Free flight: Rio de Janeiro to Miami, Florida.» Now, I wasn’t the only person to hear about the offer, but I was one of just a few to phone in and request the details. The courier service offered an airline ticket to anyone willing to carry a bag of mail to the United States. The deal was simple; it was really tantalizingly simple: just meet the company representative at the airport, where you’ll be given a duffel bag full of documents and mail, and also one ticket.
The Simple Deal
Check the bag when you check in for the flight, retrieve the bag in Miami before you make your connections, and give the bag to the uniformed courier representative who will be waiting for you beyond customs. Now I know what you’re thinking: «Nobody does that, Max. Nobody makes that offer.» Well, not anymore. But this was 1985, and it was the years before intense airport security.
Why I Almost Walked Away
My dad was dying of ALS. We were living in Rio, airline tickets were expensive, and my checking account was as thin as a Paris supermodel. A free airline ticket? Well, the offer sounded too good to be true, so I walked away from it. Many do the same with John 3:16. You know millions, maybe billions, read the verse, but only a comparatively handful trust it—wary of a trick, maybe cautioned by guarded friends.
Warnings from Friends
Other friends of mine in Rio saw the same offer. Some read it and smelled a rat and gave me a warning: «Don’t risk it, Max, ” one told me. „Better to buy your own ticket.“ Well, I would if I could, but I couldn’t afford one, and each call to Mom brought worse news: „He’s back in the hospital. He’s unable to breathe on his own. The doctor is telling us we need to make arrangements with hospice care.“
Desperation Changes Everything
So I revisited the flyer; I pulled it out of the drawer. You know, desperation heightened my interest. It always does, doesn’t it? When he asks for a divorce, or she says it’s over. When the pandemic becomes a part of our daily lives, or the finances collapse, or the job market dries up. When desperation typhoons into your world, God’s offer of a free flight home demands a second look.
John 3:16 as a Life Vest
John 3:16 morphs from a nice verse to a life vest. Many of you are wearing it; you are, and you can recount the day. You can bear testimony to the day that you put it on first, and it wears like your favorite blanket. All those phrases: „God so loved the world, ” „He gave, ” „He loves, ” „eternal life”—they have guided you. Those words have seen you through many, many winters, and I pray they warm you through the ones that remain.
For Those Still Hesitating
Others of you are still studying the flyer. You’re pondering the possibility; you’re wrestling with the promise, wondering one day what kind of fool offers this and the next day what kind of fool would turn it down. Can I urge you not to? Don’t walk away from this offer. I mean, who else can get you home? Who else has turned their grave into a changing closet and offered to do the same with yours?
Accepting the Offer
Would you please consider seriously taking Jesus’s offer? Get on board. You don’t want to miss the chance to see your Father. I didn’t. You know, I called the company; I signed up. Dylan drove me to the airport. I found the courier employee just like they said he would be. He was there. I accepted the passage, I checked the bag, I took my seat on the plane, and I was smiling like I just found an unwrapped forgotten gift under the Christmas tree.
How to Say Yes to God
Do likewise, my friend. Do likewise. Now, you don’t need to go to the airport, but you do need to make a move. You do need to give God your answer. You know the scripture says Christ will live in your heart as you open the door and let Him in (Ephesians 3:17). So say yes. Open the door. Open the door.
A Simple Prayer
Your prayer doesn’t have to be eloquent; just honest, heartfelt: „Father, I need you. I believe you. I believe you love the world. I believe you love me. I believe you gave your one and only Son, and apart from you I die. But with you, I’ll live, and I choose life. I choose you.“ It’s really that simple.
Going Public with Faith
Now, if you aren’t sure you’ve ever accepted the invitation, then you haven’t. I mean, we can’t get on board and not know it, nor can we get on board and hide it. No stowaways permitted. Christ followers go public with their belief. We turn from bad behavior to good; that’s called repentance. We stop following our passions and salute our new Captain; that’s called confession. And we publicly demonstrate our devotion; that’s called baptism. We don’t keep our choices secret. I mean, why would we? Why would we?
On Our Way Home
We’re on our way home, for Christ’s sake. And thanks to the courier, you’ll make it. Thanks to the courier, I was present at my father’s death. Thanks to God, He’ll be present at yours. He cares too much not to be. Believe Him, and you will not perish; you will have eternal life forever, forever, forever. God bless you.