Make Room: Others Need Room at the Table Too!

Let’s Get Started

“You see, I’ve got an exclusive membership card. And with that card, I get access to the whole place.” This line from the 2008 movie Yes Man, is how the character Norman describes his “exclusive” membership at Costco. In his mind, and what he tells the other characters, not just anyone can get in ... but he could talk to someone for them. As funny as that might sound, many times our Advent season can be about making room for Jesus individually—but what about corporately with our neighbors? Do we just want to go to the table and talk to Jesus for them or do we want to make room so that they can come and speak and encounter Jesus themselves?

We need to scoot over and make room for others who want to join us at the table. In the Kingdom of God, there is always more room for one more person to come sit with Him.

Always Room for One More

Themes: Hospitality

“In an African home, there is always room for one more.”

Source: William Fitzjohn, Sierra Leone High Commissioner (June 1963).

John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).Scripture

Isaiah 40:3–5 NASB 2020

The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the uneven ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

God calls and sends out His people into the world

The Messenger Preparing the Way for the Messiah: John the Baptist

John 1:6–7 NASB 2020

A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

His birth was miraculous as well.

His mother and father were of a very old age.

Elizabeth conceives and Zechariah

Zechariah is punished by a mute mouth because of not believing the angel Gabriel

Mary visits pregnant with Jesus and John jumps in Elizabeth’s womb

John is filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb

He lived a very simple and humble lifestyle.

Ate locusts and honey

Wore sackcloth

Lived in the desert

He fulfills his calling and mission.

He prepares the way for Christ just as our text speaks about today

He is the voice in the desert

Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

He calls for the remnant of Israel to remove obstacles from the coming Messiah’s path through repentance from their sins; It was a necessity.

Luke 3:8 NASB 2020

Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and do not start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.

This highway is described a few chapters earlier in Isaiah

Isaiah 35:8–10 (NASB 2020)

A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for the one who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.

No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious animal go up on it; They will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there,

And the redeemed of the Lord will return And come to Zion with joyful shouting, And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

This highway was created for you and me.

It is a highway of holiness.

Holiness is from the heart of God.

As I read the Bible, I seem to find holiness to be His supreme attribute.—Billy Graham

Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 373.

Holy, Holy, Holy

Philadelphia pastor James Montgomery Boice once spoke to a discipleship group on the attributes of God. He began by asking them to list God’s qualities in order of importance. They put love first, followed by wisdom, power, mercy, omniscience, and truth. At the end of the list they put holiness.

“That did surprise me,” Boice later wrote, “because the Bible refers to God’s holiness more than any other attribute.”

The Bible doesn’t generally refer to God as Loving, Loving, Loving! Or Wise, Wise, Wise! Or Omniscient, Omniscient, Omniscient! But over and over we read the cry of the angels, Holy, Holy, Holy!

Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 373.Holy God vs. Sinful Man

Holiness is to be lived in God’s people.

1 Peter 1:14–16 (NASB 2020)

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Holiness is the perfect love that will lead others down this path.

Holiness is the key to making disciples for the nations.

It is one where peace will reign.

It is one where the redeemed will travel.

It is one where the fullness of joy will be realized.

In this life with peace with God.

In the next with eternity at home with God.

He described what would need to happen in this time of preparation.

Every valley shall be exalted, etc.; rather, let every valley be exalted. The prophets are to see that the poor and lowly are raised up; the proud and self-righteous depressed; the crooked and dishonest induced to change their ways for those of simplicity and integrity; the rude, rough, and harsh rendered courteous and mild. "In general, the meaning is that Israel is to [be made] take care that the God who is coming to deliver it shall find it in such an inward and outward state as befits his … purpose".It ended in Herod ending his life.

All would be made right for the perfect timing of the Messiah’s arrival into the world.

Our main objective in this life is to tell others about Jesus.

I’m just a nobody telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody.—elevator operator at a hospital in Nashville

Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 777.

Our knowing Jesus and all that He offers should be the motivation to drive us to tell others.

Many will not like the message we bring but we must bring it forth anyways.

Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes One on One

One on One

An old man, walking along the beach one dawn, noticed a young man picking up starfish and flinging them into the ocean. The boy explained he was afraid the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

“But the beach goes on for miles,” said the man. “What difference will it make? There are so many starfish that nothing you can do will matter.”

As the boy picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, he said quietly, “It matters to this one.”

Psalm 96:2–3 (NASB 2020)

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

John 20:21 (NASB 2020)

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

Jesus made room for everyone

“Jesus made room for everyone, for all types of people—neighbors, the poor, His betrayers, strangers, children, and so many more. It was a mark of His ministry: giving Himself and offering Himself to others and to the Father. Jesus made room because His is a gospel for all people. The apostle Paul writes, ‘For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:27–28). In the gospel, there is no ‘other’—there is only ‘us’” (Raechel Myers, “Making Room for Others,” She Reads Truth [blog], accessed September 11, 2023, https://shereadstruth.com/making-room-for-others/).

We must make room at the table for others

It is how we prepare the way for the Lord.

It opens the path for God to move.

It gives those searching the answer they need.

We are the body of Christ

We are to be the hands, feet, eyes, and ears of our Lord Jesus Christ who is seated at the Father’s right hand.

It takes us all to make room at the table.

It takes people to reach people.

Illustration: Drop leaf table with the leaves down to begin with.

Everybody loves a party. Last night my family was together and the activity and conversation around the table was great. We were loud. It’s a good thing they put us in a room by ourselves. We love to talk, we love to eat, and we love to catch up.

Let’s look at the example of a table with leafs at the end. It’s a good little table and can serve my purposes well, depending on my purpose. I can sit and eat by myself, or I can have someone join me. But what if I want to include someone else? I want them to be served and have a place at the table. What do I do? I put up one of the leaves.

What’s the problem? The support must be used to make the table big enough. We are the supports for that table. We are those that must do the work so that others may join us at the table. Jesus wants to reveal Himself to all humanity.

The hope and waiting of God’s future glory is not just for us, but that hope is for the whole world. “The most transcendent holy power in the world will openly display his real presence to people in a marvelous way. Isaiah 40:5 develops the ideas found in 35:2, 4 that ‘they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.’ This is the day that will bring divine comfort to all people; it is a day all believers look forward to (cf. Matt 16:27; 24:30; Mark 8:38; John 17:22–24). Since ‘all flesh’ will see God’s glory at this time, the prophet must be referring to the eschatological event explained in 40:9–11. The overwhelming presence of God’s ‘glory’ will be at center stage as he fulfills his promise to come to earth to reign”

Making room for others is an act of love for our neighbor

Augustine talked about loving one’s neighbor. “The main point is this, that no one should think that while he despises his neighbor he will come to happiness and to the God whom he loves. And would that it were as easy to seek the good of our neighbor, or to avoid hurting him, as it is for one well trained and kind-hearted to love his neighbor! These things require more than mere good-will, and can be done only by a high degree of thoughtfulness and prudence, which belongs only to those to whom it is given by God, the source of all good” (Augustine of Hippo, “On the Morals of the Catholic Church,” in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 1st series [Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1887], 4:55).

Making room for others is fulfilling the evangelistic calling that the church has.

We welcome people to come as they are.

We love them like Christ loves us.

Kindness: Love in Action.—Charles Allen

Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 509.We stand firm on the truth of the Gospel.

Conclusion

So, we are at the dinner table. We have made room for Christ, where he sits. But now we must scoot over and make room for our neighbor during this Advent season.

There’s going to be a party in heaven. As a matter of fact, you’re invited. There will be a place at the table for everyone…everyone who makes it that is. God won’t have a drop leaf table, it will be the kind you keep sliding open to put new leaves in.

Can we understand the connection of our service as this local body of believers to the eternal destiny of people?

Who do you want sitting at that table? If you get your kids there, is that enough? If all your family makes it, is that enough? I tell you, if one doesn’t make it, it’s not enough.

You must serve for someone else to find their place at this table. It is your design, it is your calling, and it’s their only hope.

Let me challenge you in this season to:

• Simply start serving somewhere

• Pray about current needs

• Volunteer, don’t wait for me to ask, I can’t know everyone’s promptings

• Give your very best wherever and whatever you are doing!

Benediction

Prayer for Evangelism, One

Themes: Evangelism; Friendship; Humility; Jesus: Birth; Jesus: Death; Love; Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, in your great love for us in our alienation, you entered our world, assumed our nature, lived our life, bore our sins, and died our death. Now you send us into the same world in the same way that you were sent. Give us your mind of humility and your heart of love. Teach us truly to enter into other people’s worlds in friendship, that we may serve them as you did and share with them your gospel, and enable us to do so with such gentleness and understanding that they recognize it for the good news it is, for your Name’s sake.

John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).