Here’s your invitation.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
What a beautiful day! I love this time of year because it’s full of so many things to celebrate. Graduations, weddings, family reunions, church picnics… my meals are planned out as I go from one open house to the next. Our family received the invitations a month a go and now it’s time to attend.
When it comes to celebrating a wedding the couple will send out the save the date (the date of the wedding), then the official invitation where you RSVP, and after you respond with a yes, you get ready for the big day, the day of the wedding.
Imagine that you got an invitation from the President of the United States to a banquet. No matter who is in office, it would be an incredible honor to be invited. It would be such an honor that you would do whatever you can to clear your schedule so that you can be ready to attend. Nothing would keep you from attending this exclusive banquet.
In Luke 14 Jesus uses a parable to illustrate what it would be like to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God. However, Jesus never highlighted the festivities at the banquet as much as those who would be attending the banquet.
Jesus uses parables to teach a Kingdom truth but often in a challenging or shocking way.
Jesus highlights that we are all invited to come but not everyone will come. Some people choose to reject HIS invitation because of momentary distractions. God gives all of us the invitation to dine at the master’s banquet but the choice is on us.
Let’s start at vs. 12 leading up to the parable.
Let’s stand for the reading of God’s Word.
12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” 15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” 16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’ ”
PRAY
What a blessing it is when we accept God's invitation but there are the consequences if we reject it.
It’s so important that we accept God's invitation to fellowship. You may feel unworthy from participating in God’s grace. Maybe because of past or present circumstances but today Jesus is letting you know that HIS invitation is open to all. Even to those that society often overlooks.
The good news is that God invites everyone to His kingdom, but the bad new is that HE warns us of the consequences of ignoring that invitation.
We are all invited to receive God's grace and mercy while also illustrating the seriousness of the choices we make regarding our relationship with Christ.
The invitation to the great banquet symbolizes Christ's sacrifice and the inclusive nature of His grace therefore, Jesus is the host of this banquet. This banquet represents God’s desire for all His children to be in relationship with Him which transcends all social barriers and cultural expectations.
God’s invitation to His kingdom is open to all, but we must respond wholeheartedly to experience the fullness of His grace.
1. God's Gracious Invitation
1. God's Gracious Invitation
15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” 16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’
One of the men, probably one of the Jewish leaders said “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
He was referring to the wonderfully decadent spread and the amazing blessings Isaiah 25:6-8 talks about.
6 In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. 7 There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. 8 He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!
What in incredible banquet that not only had amazing food but all these blessings as well.
Remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.
He will swallow up death forever and wipe away every tear and remove all insults and mockery against his land and people.
This is the best party gift ever and all of this is true for the banquet Jesus is referring to in this parable as well.
However, this Pharisee assumed that he and his fellow Pharisees and other Jews and Jewish leaders would be blessed to be a part of this celebration.
They counted on their ancestry and their law keeping to have already reserved places for them at this wonderful feast.
But… Jesus would shatter this preconception. Those to be “blessed” would be those who humbly received Jesus as the Christ and accepted HIS offer of salvation.
Salvation is never earned by our own efforts, family background, or achievements. Salvation is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ and each person has to accept that gift and not waste it away.
Jesus teaches against seeking status through hard work or even suffering for the wrong reasons. Don’t lose sight of the end result of your humility and self-sacrifice because at the end Jesus promises a joyous banquet with the Lord!
God never asks his people to suffer for the sake of suffering. He never asks us to live a miserable life or to give up something good unless he plans to replace it with something even better. It might not appear better in the moment but God’s way is always better.
Jesus is calling his people to join him not in a labor camp but in a feast—the wedding supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:6–9 is where God and his beloved church will be joined together forever.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. 8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”
Be ready and let us be the church, the bride of Christ, that is ready for Jesus to come back. So that we can celebrate with the Lord as we accept our invitation to the marriage supper of the lamb.
Jesus gives many parables about banquets and wedding feasts and he always talks about the importance of us being ready and prepared.
Stay waiting, stay ready, and stay pure.
God is actively reaching out to us, inviting us into a relationship with Him. This open invitation to God's grace transcends all cultures; breaking all social barriers so here’s your opportunity to accept God’s gracious invitation with enthusiasm and gratitude.
You would think that everyone would jump at this invitation but no… people made excuses.
2. Excuses That Endanger Us
2. Excuses That Endanger Us
18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
The all people who were originally invited began to make excuses. To be honest, these were all some pretty lame excuses.
Someone just bought a field and wanted to inspect it… that could have been done another day.
Another said… I just bought some oxen and I want to try them out…
I just bought a new fishing boat, a new camper and my weekends are my only opportunity… we only have so many days of summer.
Another said… I just got married…
To those who are married, remember that you and your wife are individuals so don’t use your spouse as an excuse.
If you are not married then this won’t be an excuse you can use and don’t allow a relationship
We hear so many excuses why people reject God's invitation. Even though this isn’t about church attendance, if we are going to be found ready for Jesus’ return, we must make being at church a priority at least weekly. There is something special about being in God’s house as we worship Jesus together.
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Be ready for Jesus as a family.
In this parable, the master doesn’t beg the people who made excuses and didn’t want to come to the banquet. The master was furious but he didn’t cancel the banquet he had his servant go out and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.
Even though we love to have fun at church because church should be a fun place, church is not an exclusive social club. The church must be a hospital for those who are hurting and those who are broken.
It’s not about growing our budgets, it’s about being obedient. We are all called to be like the master’s servant who goes out and invites the broken, the blind, the poor, the crippled, and the lame. The vulnerable, displaced and destitute in society.
The banquet is for everyone, but our excuses will endanger us. If our love for this world causes us to reject God’s invitation we are in serious danger.
Even though God's invitation is open, we risk missing out if we let temporary concerns overshadow these eternal opportunities. We all must re-evaluate our excuses and recognize the valuable relationship God offers us today.
3. Responding to God's Call
3. Responding to God's Call
22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’ ”
The consequences of rejecting God's invitation illustrate that those who first rejected will not even the smallest taste of God’s banquet.
Jesus clearly shares with us the urgency and finality of the banquet doors closing. What a powerful reminder of the eternal implications of our decisions.
God's grace is abundant and available now, but it requires our immediate and wholehearted response to experience it’s true fullness.
As summer hits and our schedules get busy with leisure and activities increase but don’t put your spiritual journey on the back burner.
Don’t reject God’s invitation by allowing fleeting lesser things to take priority over God’s forever blessings.
Be like the servant and present the invitation to the masters banquet to all the people. This invitation is for everyone; the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, our neighbor, our friend who plays little league with our kid, the cashier at Aldi, Mike at the carwash, the lady who works at the gas station.
Invite them to the master’s banquet. The great thing is, we are just the servant who invites, if they say no, they aren’t rejecting the messenger they are rejecting the Master.
Give them a good reason to accept your invitation.
Most people don’t want to be around those who are negative and depressing.
Be joyful, show them love even if they reject you, be genuine, be a good listener, be humble because you might not know the right answers to their questions. Sometime the best answer is, “I don’t know but I’ll find out and get back to you” and make sure you get back with them.
Love, Live, and Declare Jesus to our world together.
This invitation is way too important to keep to ourselves. God wants HIS house to be full of people who want to be like Jesus and want to be with Jesus.
Here’s your invitation come to the Master’s banquet.
TAKE AWAY:
Are you allowing the small trivial things keep you from coming to the Master’s banquet?
What are you doing with the Master’s invitation?
