Invitation to Fellowship

Tables of Grace

May 14, 2023

Introduction:

How often have you received an invitation to a special event and declined to attend?

How would you respond to a special invitation from someone very important or powerful? Like the President, or the new King of England, or whomever?

The essence of the Christian faith is like receiving an invitation from God - to sit at his table and feast with Him. Another word for it is fellowship.

Do people believe that God wants to “fellowship” with them?

Much of what people believe today is largely self-serving. This is especially true when we look at what young people believe about God.

Christian Smith - 2009 - Soul Searching - interviewed 3000 teens

Discovered a type of common religious position that he termed Moralistic Therapeutic Deism - this new kind of belief system is human-centric, and consists of beliefs like these:

1- "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth."

2-"God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions."

3-"The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about ones self."

4-"God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem."

5-"Good people go to heaven when they die."

None of this sounds like it requires, offers, or enjoys “fellowship” - God exists to serve me when I need Him. Yet the Bible speaks differently, clearly, and with greater hope for all of us.

Jesus teaches us the nature of God’s kingdom by giving us a parable that paints a picture of a dinner banquet, which many are invited to attend, but not everyone responds.

Luke 14:16–24 (NASB95)

When it comes to the subject of fellowship with God, we MUST consider the gracious offer of God to sit with Him at His table. And it there at God’s table, where a place is reserved for you, but the only way you benefit from the meal is if you respond by faith in Jesus Christ. The purpose of this parable comes on the heels of a comment by someone that Jesus was eating with:

Background & context: Luke 14:15

Luke 14:15 NASB95

When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

The statement by the guest of the meal is actually correct; but it was rooted in an assumption that we must be aware of. Jesus challenges his notion about eating bread in the kingdom with the parable of the feast, where only those who seek God will sit at his table.

The reason for this message today is to build on what we discussed last week from Rev. 3:15-20, and to establish in our hearts and minds a clear understanding of what we are inviting others into.

We are aren't called to invite others simply into church activities, or to an ‘easier’ life, or for a quick fix for their problems; we are inviting the into a relationship with Almighty God.

1. God is serious about fellowship

The findings of Christian Smith’s research sounds surprising, but it isn’t hard to understand how people get there. If we don’t believe that Jesus wants to fellowship with us, then we’ll keep him at a distance. The parable of the great banquet moves us toward a better way to approach Jesus.

1) A great banquet/feast was prepared by the Master. Matthew records a similar parable (Matthew 22:1-10) where a king prepared a feast for his son.

the banquet is an image of the kingdom of God (Jesus uses a table!)

2) The kingdom of God is a feasting table, surrounded by people who have encountered and embraced Christ Jesus and His salvation. When God delivers us, he brings in a a place of health, nourishment, and celebration.

Isaiah 25:6–9 (NASB95)

The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

Clearly, God made people for fellowship with Himself.

We glimpse the kingdom when we celebrate at tables: graduations, birthdays, weddings, retirements, etc.

The feast takes place at a table, with people who have been invited, and who have responded in faith.

The invitations of the Gospel are invitations to happiness. In delivering God’s message, we do not ask men to come to a funeral, but to a wedding feast!

“Marvelous Things”, Volume 54, Sermon #3086 - Psalm 98:1, 2

Charles Spurgeon

But. . . there are many who will miss the feast because they made excuses for not attending.

2. You will miss the feast if you make excuses.

the purpose of the banquet was to celebrate - in the context of the parable is was to celebrate IN the kingdom.

But those invited began making excuses:

I have to look at my new property

I have to try out my new oxen

I have a new wife.

Each of these excuses are somewhat logical, but their urgency pales in the comparison to the King’s invitation to feast at His table.

have you passed on an invitation and later regretted it?

have you extended an invitation and heard only excuses.

What we miss out on when Jesus calls us to come into fellowship with Him is far greater than any earthly banquets.

God’s table will be full.