Make Room at the Table

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Advent Prayer & Pastoral Prayer

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Introduction

You ever tried to squeeze too many people around the dinner table?

Somebody’s sitting at the corner — and another’s balancing their plate on their lap — and there’s always one folding chair that’s like three inches shorter than the rest.

But somehow — those are the best meals. Messy — and loud — and full of life.

Me

That’s what this season… and our current sermon series… is about: making room.

At Christmas — we decorate our homes — fill our calendars — and plan our gatherings — but sometimes we forget to make room for the people God might send our way.

If I’m honest — there have been seasons where my table wasn’t very open. I’ve let comfort decide who gets close and who doesn’t. But this Advent season reminds me that God didn’t just make room for a few — He made room for all.

We

We’re pretty good at making room for people who think like us — vote like us — act like us — or fit in our comfort zones, right?

But the Gospel keeps reminding us that the Kingdom of God isn’t an exclusive club — it’s a wide — open table.

Think about it like this — if we were in mid-conversation and I pulled out my Costco membership card to you — you’d think that’s weird, right?

But what if I told you that the very nice lady behind the membership counter — who tried to upsell me on all the credit cards — told me this membership is very exclusive — and that I’m really important?

You wouldn’t be impressed, would you?

Costco isn’t an exclusive club — no matter what they tell you. Just pay the membership fee and they’ll let you in! They don’t care who you are — they’ll even let you in if you show up in Crocs and sweatpants!

The church is the same way. God calls us to make room for others — not to hide in holy huddles trying to shy away from all the awful things going on in the world.

Still — if we’re honest — we often limit the guest list in our lives.

Sometimes we expect people to behave before they belong — but God welcomed us long before we got it right.

We like our tables neat and predictable. We like to know who’s sitting across from us — we like the people who make conversation easy — who don’t bring tension — or questions — or discomfort.

But that’s not the table Jesus built.

We forget that before God changed us — He welcomed us.

All throughout Scripture — we see that God’s table was never meant to be exclusive. From Abraham — to Isaiah — to the birth of Christ — God kept widening the invitation. And by the time Jesus shows up — He’s sharing meals with people that everybody else avoided — tax collectors — and outcasts — and sinners.

Jesus had a way of ruining every good dinner party — because He kept inviting the people nobody else wanted sitting next to them.

That’s what made the religious crowd so uncomfortable. They wanted control over the guest list. And truthfully — sometimes we do too.

“IT’S EASY TO SAY” GRAPHIC

It’s easy to say, “Everyone’s welcome.” until the people who show up aren’t the ones we expected.

The neighbor who drinks too much.

The person’s lifestyle we don’t understand.

The family member who left the church years ago and suddenly walks through the door again.

That’s when the real test begins — not of our hospitality — but of our hearts.

Because making room isn’t about table space — it’s about grace space. It’s about clearing out the judgement — the fear — and the pride that crowds out compassion.

That’s why Advent is so powerful. Jesus came into a world full of outsiders. And every one of us was one of them. He didn’t come to those who had it all together — He came to those who were wondering in the wilderness — lost — and looking for light.

God

Our passage this morning is in the Book of Isaiah — Chapter 40. If you’re new or newer to the Bible — Isaiah is in the Old Testament — a little past the middle — after Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

If you’re using the Bible app and have The Turning Pointe set as your church — you can click on the passage in your sermon notes and it’ll take you right there in the app.

And this passage — it’s all about making room.

Making room in our hearts.

Making room in our homes.

And making room at our tables.

Because when we make room for others — we’re not just being nice — we’re preparing the way for God’s glory to be revealed.

Take a look with me — Isaiah Chapter 40 — verses 3 through 5:

Isaiah 40:3–5 NLT

3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

This passage comes right in the middle of a message of hope for God’s people. See God’s people — the nation of Israel — had been living in exile: displaced — and defeated — and discouraged.

They were far from home — carrying the weight of their past mistakes — wondering if God had given up on them. They were asking the same question people still ask today: “God? Are you really gonna show up?”

And right into that hopelessness — Isaiah’s words break through like light in the wilderness: God hasn’t forgotten about you — He’s clearing a path to bring you home.

But notice something — He doesn’t tell them to make room in the palace — or the temple — or the city gates. He says, “Clear the way through the wilderness.”

That’s important — because the wilderness represents the hard place — the barren places — the places we tend to avoid.

And that’s exactly where God wants to move.

Exposition

There are three ways God is calling us to move this Christmas season.

“CLEAR A PATH” GRAPHIC

1. The first thing He’s calling us to is to Clear a Path for the Lord.

Isaiah’s calling the people to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Lord — not just for their own sake — but so others can see His glory too. To “clear the way” is to remove the obstacles — and the debris — and the distractions… anything that stands in the way of people encountering God.

Look with me again at Verse 3:

Isaiah 40:3 NLT

3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!

In ancient times — when a king was coming to visit — crews would go ahead of him to clear the roads — and fill the potholes — remove the rocks and the branches — and make the path smooth. They wanted nothing to slow him down.

Basically they were the world’s first version of the highway department — except their potholes were probably smaller than the ones on the Lloyd.

Isaiah’s using that same image here. He’s saying, “The King is coming. Get the road ready.”

And it’s the same calling for us today.

If Jesus is coming — if His Kingdom is near — then we’ve got some roadwork we’ve gotta do in our own hearts and in our own homes.

For some of us — that means clearing out pride — the attitude that says, “I’m good. I don’t really need to change.”

For others — it’s clearing out resentment — those grudges we keep patching over instead of dealing with.

Maybe for some — it’s fear — the worry that if we really let God have control — He’ll ask too much of us.

Whatever it is — the call is the same: clear the way.

And here’s what’s beautiful: this prophecy doesn’t just stay in Isaiah. Centuries later — Luke’s Gospel tells us about a man named John the Baptist — a wild prophet… out in the wilderness — who shows up quoting these same words:

Luke 3:4 NLT

4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!

John the Baptist wasn’t just fulfilling a prophecy — he was continuing a mission. HIs whole life was about preparing the way — clearing the road — and pointing people to Jesus.

That’s what Advent is all about. It’s not just about waiting for Christ to come… it’s about preparing for Christ to come. It’s about making sure there’s nothing in our lives blocking the way for others to see Him clearly.

“WHAT ROADS IN YOUR LIFE” GRAPHIC

So let me ask you: What roads in your life need clearing?

What attitudes — or habits — or distractions might be making it hard for somebody else to see Jesus through you?

Maybe it’s the way we talk about people we disagree with.

Maybe it’s the way we treat the waiter at the restaurant after church.

Maybe it’s how quick we are to post judgement instead of extending grace.

If we want others to see the glory of God — we’ve gotta make sure there’s nothing else in the way.

When we clear the way — God shows up. And when God shows up — people find their way home, amen?

“LEVEL THE GROUND” GRAPHIC

2. The second thing God’s calling us to this Advent season is to Level the Ground.

In our passage this morning — Isaiah’s using not just construction language… but Kingdom language. Look with me again at verse 4:

Isaiah 40:4 NLT

4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.

See in ancient times — when a road was being prepared for a royal procession — workers would literally fill in low places and smooth out high ones. The goal was to make a level path for the king to travel on — no obstacles — no detours — no delays.

And so Isaiah’s using that same imagery to talk about what happens when God comes near. When His Kingdom breaks into the world — everything gets leveled:

The proud are humbled.

The lowly are lifted up.

The uneven ground of this world — our divisions — our egos — our systems of status — gets flattened under the weight of His glory.

“AT GOD’S TABLE” GRAPHIC

And that’s good news. Because at God’s table, nobody sits higher than anybody else. The ground level is at the foot of the Cross.

But that’s not how the we’re used to operating, is it?

Our world runs on status — who’s accomplished more — who looks better. Who’s in… and who’s out. Even in church — we’re tempted to build hierarchies. We treat some people as “spiritually strong” and others are “still working on it,” …as if any of us ever stop working on it.

But Advent reminds us that when Jesus came — He didn’t come to climb a ladder. He came to level one.

He stepped down from Heaven and took on human flesh. He came as a servant — not a celebrity. He chose a manger — not a throne. That’s what leveling the ground looks like. Jesus tells us how to do that very plainly. Look at Luke 14 verse 11:

Luke 14:11 NLT

11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

So what’s that mean for us?

It means if there’s pride in us — we bring it low.

If there’s somebody around us who feels unseen or unworthy — we lift them up.

If there’s a wall between us and somebody else — we tear it down.

That’s the kind of road God travels on — the kind that’s made smooth by humility and compassion.

So Isaiah shows us when the road is cleared and the ground is leveled — something amazing happens: God’s glory shows up.

“REVEAL GOD’S GLORY TOGETHER” GRAPHIC

3. The third thing we’re called to do this season is to Reveal God’s Glory Together.

When the obstacles are cleared — when the paths are made straight — when the proud are humbled and the lowly are lifted — then look at what Isaiah says is next. Verse 5:

Isaiah 40:5 NLT

5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

Don’t miss that word — together. That’s the end goal of Advent. That’s what this season is all about — God revealing Himself to the world through His people.

And notice — Isaiah doesn’t say, “a few people,” or, “some of God’s favorites.” He says all people will see it.

That means the addict who doesn’t believe they can change.

That means the skeptic who’s still asking questions.

That means the brokenhearted — the lonely — the forgotten — and the outcast.

God’s glory isn’t meant to be hoarded — it’s meant to be shared.

MEYERS QUOTE

“Jesus made room for everyone… it was a mark of His ministry: giving Himself and offering Himself to others and to the Father.”

- Rachel Meyers

When the church makes room for others — the world catches a glimpse of what Heaven looks like.

When we love people who can’t pay us back — when we welcome people who can’t offer us anything in return — when we choose kindness of comfort — the light of Christ shines through us.

The Apostle Paul said it like this in Galatians 3:27 and 28:

Galatians 3:27–28 ESV

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

That’s when people start to see His glory — and let me tell you — there’s nothing more beautiful than that.

Because when the glory of God shows up — it changes everything.

It heals what’s broken.

It fills what’s empty.

It turns strangers into family.

That’s the heart of Advent — God revealing His glory in and through His people — so that the world can see what love looks like. When we make room for others — we make God’s glory visible.

You

So what’s this all mean for you and me?

If Advent is about preparing the way for the Lord — then that means we’ve got some work to do — not to earn His favor — but to reflect His heart.

Clearing the way — leveling the ground — revealing His glory — those aren’t just prophetic phrases. They’re invitations to live differently.

Maybe for you — clearing the way means letting go of something that’s been cluttering your soul — a grudge — or a judgement — or a habit that’s crowding out grace.

Maybe it means asking, “Who have I left standing outside my table?”

Maybe it’s time to pull up another chair — even if it’s uncomfortable.

Making room at the table isn’t about pretending everybody’s the same or agreeing on everything — it’s about loving people the way Jesus loves — fully aware of their flaws… and fully committed to grace.

And let’s be clear — that doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you. Loving others doesn’t mean accepting abuse or staying in places that aren’t good for you. Even Jesus set boundaries. He welcomed everybody — but He didn’t give everybody the same access.

Boundaries protect love — they don’t cancel it.

So maybe, making room for somebody this Christmas doesn’t mean they sit at your literal table. Maybe it means you decide to forgive them — even if reconciliation isn’t possible yet. Maybe it means praying for them instead of replaying the hurt over and over.

Maybe it means replacing bitterness with blessing — not because they deserve it — but because Jesus gave it to you first.

And maybe for some of us — the person we need to make room for isn’t “out there” — it’s the person right in front of us.

A friend who’s lonely.

A neighbor who feels invisible.

A coworker who’s struggling but too afraid to say it out loud.

Advent is the perfect time to slow down and look around the table — not just who’s sitting there — but who’s missing.

“WHEN WE MAKE ROOM FOR OTHERS” GRAPHIC

Because when we make room for others — we make room for God to move.

When you open your home — when you show kindness — when you extend grace — you’re preparing the way for somebody else to see the glory of the Lord.

So ask yourself:

Who could you invite this season?

Who could you encourage?

Who could you love in a way that makes Heaven just a little more invisible on earth?

Maybe that’s how God wants to use you this Christmas — not to impress people with decorations or busyness — but to make room for His presence through the way you love others.

We

When we live this way — when we start making room for others — the world takes notice.

Because that’s not normal. The world runs on division and categories: who’s right — who’s wrong. Who’s worthy — and who’s not.

But when we live life with open hands and open hearts — when we pull up a chair instead of protecting our corner of the table — we show people what grace actually looks like.

That’s the power of Advent. It doesn’t just remind us that Jesus came — it reminds us of why He came.

He came to prepare a way where there was no way.

He came to level the ground between us and God.

He came to reveal the glory of the Lord to all people — together.

And that’s what happens when we make room.

When we open our tables — people find belonging.

When we extend kindness — people find peace.

When we welcome others in — they catch a glimpse of the Kingdom.

That’s what it means to prepare the way of the Lord — not just waiting for Him to come again — but letting His light shine through the way we live right now.

Because one day — all of this will be complete. One day — every seat will be filled. Every valley will be lifted — every mountain made low — and the glory of the lord will be revealed — and we’ll see it together.

Call to Repentance

Maybe as we’ve walked through this call of God today — a name has come to mind. Somebody you’ve kept at a distance. Somebody who used to have a place at your table — but somewhere along the way — you quietly moved their chair out of reach.

Maybe this season — God is inviting you to make room again.

Not to pretend nothing has happened — not to ignore the pain. But to let His grace fill the gap where hurt has been living for far too long.

Or maybe — if you’re honest — the person who’s been left out isn’t somebody else — it’s you. You’ve been living like there’s no seat left for you at God’s table. You’ve convinced yourself that you’ve gone too far — or waited too long — or messed up too badly.

But the story of Advent says otherwise. It says the King of Heaven came down all the way into the wilderness to make a way home for you. He came to level the ground — to clear the path — and to prepare a place where you belong.

The table is set.

The invitation is open.

And there’s still room.

So maybe today your step is to make room for somebody else — or maybe it’s time to take the seat He’s been saving for you. You don’t have to earn it — or clean up for it — or qualify for it. You just have to come.

And when you do — you’ll find what Isaiah promised long ago: “The glory of the Lord will be revealed — and all people will see it together.”

There’s a seat at the table.

There’s a place for you.

And the invitation still stands: Come, the Lord has made room for you.

Let’s do what Advent people do: keep making room.

Prayer

Communion