Good News Week 39. Good News Invitation

Save The Date

Have you ever received one of those Save The Date invites?

Often its for a wedding, or birthday party, or baby gender reveal, or some other big event for the one giving out the invite.

I mean, that the truth right?

Usually the one giving out the Save the Date Invite is the one you will be celebrating.

You don’t usually get a Save the Date invite for a party in your honor.

And honestly you may not even be excited that you recieved a Save the Date invite.

I mean depending on what Saturday in the Fall the Save the Date lands on, I might not be excited.

Now, if the party was going to have the who’s who of celebrities and athletes and musicians, you might get excited.

Depending on your politics, if the president or a former president were going to be there you might get excited.

If the richest and most successful business people were going to be there some of you may get excited.

But here’s the catch - the Save the Date invite doesn’t have the Date on it.

All you know is you’re invited to the biggest banquet of the year.

Lizzo may even play the flute.

It’s going to be epic.

But you don’t know when it’s happening, you only know you are invited.

And you only know that when the event arrives you have to be willing to go.

What do you do?

Do you ignore the Save the Date invite?

Do you make plans that when the Date arrives you will drop everything and go?

Will you think about the event, imagine it would be great to attend but decide it’s not worth all the fuss?

What is your plan?

Because, there is an event like that coming.

There is a Save the Date that has been given.

Party preparations are already underway.

The Event is in the final planning stages.

The Banquest Hall has already been reserved.

Decorations are going up.

The Host has already been seen telling folks to get ready, its time now and the time is coming.

Some rejected the Host.

Laughed at the Host.

Mocked the Host.

Killed the Host.

But the Host was raised on the third day.

And the Host has promised to return.

Because the Party cannot be cancelled.

He’s has promised to throw a banquet, a party.

He’s promised not to eat the celebratory meal until He eats it with us.

This Party is too good to be missed.

Why am I talking about a party this morning.

Well, because Jesus was invited to a party and as Jesus is wont to do, begins talking about something else that sounds the same.

Jesus starts talking about parties, and guest lists, and invitations, and willingness, and who’s coming and who’s not coming.

So, before we get into the Words of Jesus lets talk about the First and Last again.

The Guest List

Alright, so lets make sure we understand the role of Jesus in the Jewish sense.

Not only the Jewish sense, but yes, in the Jewish sense.

The Bible is the story of Covenants.

Edenic covenant, Gen 1:26-28—The creative covenant between the Triune God, as the first party (Gen 1:26), and newly created man, as the second party, governing man’s creation and life in Edenic innocence. It regulated man’s dominion and subjugation of the earth, and presented a simple test of obedience. The penalty was death.

Adamic covenant, Gen 3:14-19—The covenant conditioning fallen man’s life on the earth. Satan’s tool (the serpent) was cursed (Gen 3:14); the first promise of the Redeemer was given (3:15); women’s status was altered (3:16); the earth was cursed (3:17-19); physical and spiritual death resulted (3:19).

Noahic covenant, Gen 8:20-9:6—The covenant of human government. Man is to govern his fellowmen for God, indicated by the institution of capital punishment as the supreme judicial power of the state (Gen 9:5-6). Other features included the promise of redemption through the line of Shem (9:26).

Abrahamic covenant, Gen 12:1-3; confirmed, 13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8—The covenant of promise. Abraham’s posterity was to be made a great nation. In him (through Christ) all the families of the earth were to be blessed (Gal 3:16; Jn 8:56-58).

Mosaic covenant, Ex 20:1-31:18—The legal covenant, given solely to Israel. It consisted of the commandments (Ex 20:1-26); the judgments (social) - (Ex 21:1; 24:11) and the ordinances (religious); (Ex 24:12-31:18); also called the law. It was a conditional covenant of works, a ministry of ‘condemnation’ and ‘death’ (2 Cor 3:7-9), designed to lead the transgressor (convicted thereby as a sinner) to Christ.

Palestinian covenant, Deut 30:1-10—The covenant regulating Israel’s tenure of the land of Canaan. Its prophetic features include dispersion of disobedience (Deut 30:1), future repentance while in dispersion (30:2), the Lord’s return (30:3), the restoration (30:4-5), national conversion (3:6), judgment of Israel’s foes (30:7), national prosperity (30:9). Its blessings are conditioned upon obedience (30:8, 10), but fulfillment is guaranteed by the new covenant.

Davidic covenant, 2 Sam 7:4-17, 1 Chr 17:4-15—The kingdom covenant regulating the temporal and eternal rule of David’s posterity. It secures in perpetuity a Davidic ‘house’ or line, a throne, and a kingdom. It was confirmed by divine oath in Ps 89:30-37 and renewed to Mary in Lk 1:31-33. It is fulfilled in Christ as the World’s Saviour and Israel’s coming King (Acts 1:6; Rev 19:16; 20:4-6).

New covenant, Jer 31:31-33; Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; Heb 8:8-12—The covenant of unconditional blessing based upon the finished redemption of Christ. It secures blessing for the church, flowing from the Abrahamic covenant (Gal 3:13-20), and secures all covenant blessings to converted Israel, including those of the Abrahamic, Palestinian, and Davidic covenants. This covenant is unconditional, final and irreversible.

Eternal covenant, Heb 13:20—The redemptive covenant before time began, between the Father and the Son. By this covenant we have eternal redemption, an eternal peace from the ‘God of peace’, through the death and resurrection of the Son.

So what does all this mean?

What’s the deal with the Covenants?

Basically, its this.

Jesus would be the Guanteer of the Eternal Covenant.

And God worked thru human institutions to bring about Hevanely salvation.

It’s called Salvation History.

It’s God working thru and with humanity to bring about salvation for humanity.

It started in the Garden. And God kept his word.

He then Covenated to bring salvation thru the seed of the woman. And God kept His word. Jesus came thru Mary.

Next up is Noah. Redemption promised thru the line of his son Shem. And God kept His word.

Then the Abrahamic Covenant. It was a promise that God will build a nation thru Abraham’s seed. The first part of that is fulfilled thru his son Isaac. It was a promise according to the flesh. The truer fulfillment of they promise of a nation was fulfilled thru his great-grandson Jesus. But this promise is not based on flesh but on faith and adoption by the Spirit. And God kept his word.

There’s the Mosaic Covenant which outlines the terms of covering for sin and guilt. Sacrifice was requires. And Jesus of course is the ultimate sacrifice. God kept His word.

Then the Palenstianial Covenent revealed what would happed to the children of Abraham by the flesh if the rebelled against the Covenant. And God kept His word.

Whigh leads us to the Davidic covenant which promised a King that would would rule eternally. And that he would be a son of David. Of course Jesus is that King. God kept His word.

Then there’s the New Covenant. This is what we celebrate every week at the table. This is the remembrance of the terms of the covenant that made us, heirs of the Abrahamic covenant not by flesh but by faith. Jesus kept the terms of the covenant. God kept his Word.

Jesus kept His word.

So again you ask, what does this have to do with party invitations and Jesus?

Lets return to the Abrahamic Covenant.

Israel was the fleshly holders of the covenant contract.

But From the beginning God’s plan was to save all who would come to Him in Jesus.

But, Jesus came at a specific moment in time.

So before Jesus came, God saved all those who would turn to Him and worship the Only True God. Romans 1:18-20

Romans 1:18–20 CSB

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

But God also instituted a way for us to know Him personally, relationtionally, and covenantally.

That person was Jesus.

The people Jesus would come thru were the Jews.

So God makes covenant with Abraham.

He promises to be their God.

So they were the first to get to know the One True God by name and thru covenant.

So when the Second Person of the Godhead enters Human History, the Word became Flesh in the person of Jesus.

Jesus is a Jew.

A son of Abraham by the flesh.

Jesus came to the Jew first to reveal God and bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

Many of His own people rejected Him.

Many received Him.

But Jesus wasn’t only the King of the Jews.

Jesus is the King of the Earth.

The King of Kings and the Lord of LORDS.

Jesus is the Savior of all the people of earth.

So Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant to Abraham - not only according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

So, when scripture says phrases like the first will be last and the last will be first, it’s talking about Abrahamic Covenant.

The last who were included in the Covenant have become the ones who will be first into the Kingdom of God and His Christ.

The First are the Jews Jesus came to.

The Last are the ones who are Children of Abraham by faith.

We are included.

Those who reject are excluded.

Those who by faith are children of Abraham are invited to know God personally, relationally, and covenantally.

I hope you are all following me.

I hope I’m explaining this well, because it’s important to the story of scripture.

And it’s brings back to the Party.

Jesus is invited to a party.

Yes, sorry, we are just getting to our text.

Luke 14:7–15 CSB

He told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit in the place of honor, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host. The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place. “But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” When one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Party Scenes

A Lesson On Humilty

Jesus was always getting invited to parties.

Jesus was always going to parties.

But Jesus never left a party without challenging the partyers to a deeper life.

Real quick, life has more meaning that what we recognize.

We live a culture that says if it feels good, do it.

That says give into the temptation if think it’ll feel good.

A culture that gets high and drunk and then does dumb stuff and blames it on getting high or drunk.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 5, don’t get drunk on wine. Why? Because it leads to sin and destructive behaviors.

What is Paul’s answer? Be filled with the Spirit. Why? Because it leads to holiness and wholeness.

So, Jesus goes to a party and challenges them to live for something greater than themselves.

To live for something greater than our appetites and desires.

This would have sobered them up quickly.

You think you’re important, and influencer, a distinguished guest.

If you want to demonstrate the distinguished status of your heart you will give up your seat for the weak, the marginalized, the outcast, the poor, the lame, the blind, the maim.

We spiritualize this.

But I don’t think Jesus is speaking in metaphor or allagorizing our status toward the weak to make us feel better about our spiritual wealth.

Jesus is saying if you really want to throw a party that gets God’s attention, invite the broken.

Give them a seat of honor.

Show them the beauty of the Kingdom.

Two quotes on humility that I love.

“Humility means having a high view of God, a sober view of oneself, and a generous view of others.” —Alistair Begg

and from C.S. Lewis, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.”

See, when we have a high view of God we see ourself and others in proper perspective.

It’s about proper ordering.

It’s about human dignity and value.

Jesus uses the party to challenge us our perspective.

But Jesus isn’t done with His Party Scenes.

A Kingdom Invition

Luke 14:15–23 CSB

When one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then he told him, “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ “But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’ “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’ “So the servant came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’ “ ‘Master,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’ “Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.

Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God.

Blessed is the one who goes to the Kingdom Party.

Jesus uses that statement to challenge them a different way.

He moves from human interactions, how we treat on another on earth to God interaction, our response to the Kingdom come.

Invited Many

This is important.

The Party wasn’t unexpected.

The Party wasn’t unplanned.

But the exact time of the party hadn’t been made public.

Many folks were invited.

They were aware that the party was happening.

They were aware that the party was near.

There had been clues, signs, announcments.

And now the Party is starting and the announcement is made, all who were invited, IT’S TIME!

The party is here.

The Kingdom is here.

Come on.

You’ve got your invitation.

Let’s go.

It’s the event you’ve been waiting for.

The Host is here and the party is ready.

But here’s what happened.

Some who had been invited, had received their Save the Date invite, had decided that the Party wasn’t worth them changing their other plans.

They weren’t willing to be interrupted.

They weren’t willing to be interrupted.

They weren’t willing to leave behind their plans.

They weren’t willing.

One decided he needed to inspect the field he had purchased.

Nothing wrong with purchasing a field unless you decide managing it matters more than the Kingdom Come.

One decided he needed to try out the oxen he had purchased.

Nothing wrong with buying equipment unless you decide time on your equipment is more important than the Kingdom Come.

One decided that He would stay with his wife. He could have just brought his wife to the Kingdom Party.

He decided there was more important things to do that Kingdom Come.

All these chose to continue in the mundane of the everyday instead of the Joy of the Kingdom Come.

So let me ask you, what matters most?

When the Kingdom Announcement is made, what will you do.

Now, here’s the thing, Jesus said to the Jews, the Kingdom of God is in your midst.

The Kingdom has come in Jesus and yet the Kingdom is still to come.

The Kingdom has come in the sense that Jesus came and revealed the Father and taught us what Kingdom Living looks like.

The Kingdom is in our hearts when we accept Jesus.

But the Kingdom is yet to come in power, in the rule and reign of Jesus on earth.

Jesus will return to establish his rule not only in our hearts but in the earth.

It will be a kingdom of righteouness and justice and peace.

So when Jesus is speaking to the Jews he is says, the Party Host is here in front of you, will you join me?

And when they rejected Him, this Covenant Keeping God opened the invitation.

Invited More

Luke 14:21–24 CSB

“So the servant came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’ “ ‘Master,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’ “Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will enjoy my banquet.’ ”

There’s still room!

There’s still hope!

There’s still an invitation!

Though they ignored the announcement, though they chose the things of the world to occupy their hearts, affections, and attention, God would not waste the party.

Save the Date.

You may not know when it’s coming but when it does, clear your schedule.

And while we wait, go out and invite others to the party.

Invite others to the Kingdom Come.

Go to the highways and the hedges.

To the great and the small.

To the poor and the rich.

To the marginalized and the outcast.

Tell them to Save the Date.

The Kingdom is Coming.

The Host is getting ready to arrive.

He came to the Jew first but they did not recieve Him but to as many as who will recieve Him, to them He has given the power to become Children of God.

John 1:10–14 CSB

He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

You’ve been invited.

You’ve been commissioned and commanded to invite others.

Tell them to Save the Date.

Party preparations are already underway.

The Event is in the final planning stages.

The Banquest Hall has already been reserved.

Decorations are going up.

The Host has already been seen telling folks to get ready, its time now and the time is coming.

Some rejected the Host.

Laughed at the Host.

Mocked the Host.

Killed the Host.

But the Host was raised on the third day.

And the Host has promised to return.

Because the Party cannot be cancelled.

He’s has promised to throw a banquet, a party.

He’s promised not to eat the celebratory meal until He eats it with us.

This Party is too good to be missed.

And this Party will not only be thrown for the Host, we’re celebrating our Covenent too.

When the Kingdom comes and the Baquet meal is served, its the Covenant Meal between the Groom and the Bride.

It’s a eternal covenant celebration.

You all have your Save the Date invites.

Will you be willing when the Host arrives?

Will you respond to the invitation today?