Luke 14:15-24 - A Great Banquet

Well this morning we are continuing on and are sermon series to the Book of Luke looking at Luke 14 15 through 24. Let me remind you this morning that this these versus taking us 2 verse 24 will conclude this setting that is this meal that is taking place in the setting of the home of a Pharisee or religious leader. I'll remind you that Jesus in this time at this meal has silenced his antagonist particularly the Pharisees the religious leaders, I over the matter of the Sabbath healing and his there by rebuke those who would claim to be religious, but don't live it out and don't understand it properly. He has also address to the honor seeking of the gas in general there by rebuking the proud in the area. When he's also directed the leader of the Pharisees who's guessed he was about how he ought to set up a guest list for these Banquets there by rebuking the wealthy and well-to-do those who are self-seeking and now finally he responds to a remark by one of the gas in which he will rebuke those who are presumptuous. Let's look at Luke chapter 14 verses 15 through 24, Georgia to open your Bibles or turn on your device or as is usually the case on the back of the insert in the bulletin is the passage this morning.

Luke 14 verse 15 through 24 one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things he said to him blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God. But he said to him a man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the bank when he sent his servants to say to those who had been invited come for everything is now ready, but they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him. I have bought a fields and I must go out in see it. Please have me excused and another said I have bought five yoke of oxen then I go to examine them. Please have me excused and another said I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. So the servant came and reported these things to his master, then the Master of the House became angry and said to his servant go out quickly to the streets and Lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame and the servant said sir. What you commanded has been done and still there is room and the master said to the servant go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in that my house may be filled for I tell you none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet at spray. Father God we thank you for your word. And we look to you this morning.

For your help by your spirit in regards to your words. Would you by your spirit help each one to understand your truth and they're mine and to embrace your truth and then their hearts knowing father God that as we do so with the help of your spirit. We will be changed. And that is our desire father got to leave this morning changed to be conformed to the image of Christ to be more Godly to walk more truly in a manner worthy of you are wonderful. Gospel. And pray for your help. Father God, would you help me to Proclaim Your Truth accurately and clearly? Helpful to the end of being changed by it.

And father God would you help us? to see Jesus pray this in his name. Amen. Let's start talking about this Parable Parable really that will break down into three parts Part 1 the invitations go out and the excuses come in. Part to the invitations go out and the disadvantaged come in and finally invitations go out that more may come in. Jesus has a response to this religious leader who makes I think we can understand it be a presumptuous comment about those who will be blessed to eat bread in the kingdom of heaven. And so he tells a parable of a man who holds the banquet or mind you we talked about this two weeks ago that this idea of a banquet reflects on the eschatological feasts the end-time feast or does that feel logical term eschatology mean end times eschatologies the study of the end times and so this eschatological banquet this end time Feast is what Jesus is talking about here and it's what was raised by the religious leader. We read about it in Isaiah 25 or 6 where Isaiah prophesize on this mountain the Lord of hosts Will Made For All Peoples a feast of rich. Buddha Feast of well-aged wine of rich food full of marrow of aged wine well-refined was prophesied in the Old Testament. We can fast-forward and look to Revelation for reading Revelation 19 verse 9 and the angel said to me right this Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the land? And he said to me these are the true words of God this picture of a banquet both represented in the end times celebration of God's people being with him eternally, but it's not just a symbol it will actually happen. It will real really happen. There will be a bank with the marriage supper of the lamb. And so this is what Jesus is talking about to attend at that end time banquet means Eternal Vindication and blessing. We want to be at that banquet. Now the Pharisees in the religious leaders presumed that they would be at that in time banquet, but Jesus clearly wants to show them that though they had been invited. That they were rejecting the invitation by rejecting him and rejecting his teaching. Note that this was a large luxurious luxurious banquet as many were invited to it. Understand how these invitations worked in the time of the Jesus was speaking invitations were always double invitations. It was customary at the time that the first invitation was sent out. Well ahead of the banquet. And those who were invited would RSVP their plans to attend similar to what we might do when we get a wedding invitation the invitations for the wedding go out early and we are expected to RSVP to them. And let the people know let the host know that we're going to be there. Now. The second invitation is really more of a summons and that second invitation will go to those who had already confirmed that they were coming to the banquet. I told his servant would go and find out what find them where they were and they say you know, what we're almost ready. The food's ready. The house has been set up. Everything's in order. Now it's time to come to the banquet.

You don't think about in your home. When dinner's going to happen, usually we're going to eat at 5:30, or maybe if I practice you always eat at 5:30 or 6. And so there's a general invitation to win the meal is but then when it's actually time to eat what happens? In our house usually want to parents us one of the kids to get the other kids and as we've seen on so many sitcoms and movies that kids usually just screams of the top of the voice supper's ready. That's the summit's that's the invitation you're going to be here. It's time to eat. And so that's what's going on here. Now as the summons goes out to people who have already committed to being at the banquet as the summons goes out with the food prepared in light of who's going to attend with things set up for the right amount of people. As that summons goes out then the excuses start to come in another gram or here suggests that all of the people who committed to going to the banquet all of the made excuses. So we get these three excuses from these three different people. This is really just a sample because this the Grammy her suggest that everybody who rsvp'd yes, I'll be there in the bank with every single one of them made an excuse to not show up on the commentators make the suggestion that it's almost to be thought of as a conspiracy against the host. That these people spoke among themselves and agreed all not to go. In order to bring shame and embarrassment to the whole house.

commentators all agree the D's excuses to quote one of them are lame and insulting. There may be an idea there is you read it while you know, these could be legitimate and it's unfortunate happen, but no, it's clear that these are not good excuses and they're unacceptable. The owner of the field does not need to go and inspect a field that he already owns and if he did he could have done it earlier.

The owner of the auction would have examined the animals before he purchased them and to suggest that that had to be done right at this moment is ridiculous. And being recently married is no excuse for avoiding a social engagement that you've known about for perhaps weeks. These are feeble excuses and we see that they are in light of the host anger. Even though he is angered. He's unaffected in terms of his plans The Show Must Go On the party will proceed as planned. The food has been prepared. The wine is ready. The house has been set up. The servants have been given the responsibilities. The party will proceed and so we see part to hear the invitations go out and the disadvantaged come in. Seems that the people of the suburbs in a gated communities have refused to attend. As of now the invitations go out to the to the streets in the lanes that were Lanes means back alleys. The needy and lowly are invited the poor the crippled the Blind and the lame.

And these ones were invited received the invitation with no forewarning. not weeks in advance But minutes in advance and they come to the feast to enjoy it. And then finally the invitations go out that more may come in the master wants a full house. So the servant is sent to look for even more guess. This time the invitation extendo beyond the city limits to the highways in the hedges understand that there are likely only outcasts in these areas outside of the city just before nightfall ethnic groups who would have been marginalized those who work in despised occupations, those who are religiously in pure the poor the prostitutes the Beggars and the light. And we're told compel them to come in now. That's we're compelled doesn't mean used Force to make them come it means to intensely persuade them to come and that was likely necessary because they recognized that they couldn't pay back the host. Remember two weeks ago we talked about this there was this reciprocal reciprocity practice among those who attended Banquets you come to my bank with then you invite me to yours. These people were not repaying the favor. And so the master says compel them persuade them to come in. What is the parable that Jesus? Teaches and shares with those religious leaders. He had just been eating with I want to look at this Parable in light of the characters who are in it must start with the master. I told you a couple weeks ago about Parables at one of the ways you can hone in on the main idea is to look at and determine who the main character is. Who is the one who has the most discourse the most dialogue and to whom is given the most space in the parable and we see that this Parable clearly pertains to the master of the house. Now, we have a propensity to want all of The Parables to be primarily about us. at all of them all all of them are most of them are also about us but only secondarily main idea of this Parable in this teaching is that God generously and graciously desires people to be safe. God generously and graciously desires people to be present at that s scatological celebratory banquet at the end of the ages. there for the invitation goes out to all

and similarly there for Roth is stored up for those who reject the invitation. God desires a full house.

I thought of his master saying to his servants fillerup. Philly rock some of the young people in might not realize this but you used to be able to go to a gas station and someone else would put the gas in your car for you. And you drive up and you'd say fillerup. I want this full of gas and some of you even older might remember I saw this numerous times. It was always in the states where the gas was cheaper Canadians would be down there filling up their car and as a car became full the gas would stop flowing out of the nozzle and they would shake their car to get the gas moving back and forth in the tank so that when the gas, you know waved away would open up some space and some more gas could go in and get some of you have seen that I imagine. I remember that Well, that's the idea that the master here wants the house full every seat taken. He doesn't want one seat to be empty. He's prepare the food. He's prepared the wine. He set up his house. He wants the house. Speaks to the graciousness of this host. And thereby the graciousness of God this Master of the House clearly represents God. And it's a gracious invitation because nobody is old an invitation to the banquet. And a host is under no obligation to even have a banquet. And yet he does and certainly those who end up feasting and celebrating with the Master of the House. They could not earn their way in. And they certainly can't repay the host for his kindness. All they can do is receive his grace and mercy.

And then further to that one of the pictures of his graciousness as his generosity.

God desires people to come to his celebration to come and make Merry and be joyful to have fellowship with others and with him and just Feast on the riches of his splendor.

Present at the Masters banquet is a clear and conclusive indication that salvation has come to an individual. And it's a generous generous God who sends out the invitations 2nd Peter 3:9 says the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness but his patient for you not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance. So generous salvation 1st Timothy 2 verses 1 through 4. First of all, right, then I hours is supplications prayers intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life Godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our savior who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The Salvation this invitation to Salvation is a generous work of God. And yet I know many of you are sitting there these there's a problem here isn't there. If God is generous and salvation and does not wish that any should perish with desires all people to save then why doesn't everyone go to heaven. Why are there some who don't get in the banquet is God not powerful enough to see it through doesn't he do whatever he desires and can't be forwarded.

What's understand something as of this as we think about those two for versus as we think about the generosity of God and salvation? Let us understand that God is komplex his will and his emotions are complicated.

In fact, it was reading John Piper's take on some of this thing. He said God's emotional life is infinitely complex beyond our ability to fully comprehend it with a Bible reveals an aspect of God's emotions or his will that God wishes something or God desire something or God hate something or God want something we must recognize that these are not simple things and we must looked up all of scripture to get clarity on it. For example, the God desires that all might be saved and none would perish God also Delights in the punishment of the wicked. Deuteronomy 28 63 and as the Lord took the light and doing you good and multiplying you so the Lord will take Delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you and you should be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. He's a complex Scott. We also know that even though God desires all men to be saved and that none should perish I perish he is also chosen those who will be saved. Ephesians 1 3 through 5 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places. Even as he chose us in Christ are in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption to himself as son through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will This is a complicated thing nevertheless as we read scriptures. We try to understand this better. We should be able to affirm that God loves the world with a deep compassion the desires the salvation of all men. We should be able to affirm that we can also affirm that God desires to judge those who reject him and that he has chosen his people before the foundation of the world. But we should be able to affirm that God loves the world with a deep compassion that desires the salvation of all men. And he does so because he is gracious and he is generous. Let's return to Bishop J C Ryle as we so often have through this book of Luke as he speaks to this passage and speaks to the generosity and graciousness of God salvation.

Royal rights we are taught firstly in this Parable that God has made a great provision for the Salvation of men's Souls. This is the meaning of the words a certain man made a great banquet and invited many. This is the gospel the gospel contains a full supply of everything that Sinners need in order to be saved. We are all naturally starving and empty and helpless and ready to perish forgiveness of all sin and peace with God justification of the person and sanctification of the heart Grace along the way and Glory In The End by the gracious Provisions, which God has prepared for the needs of our souls. There is nothing that's in Layton heart scan wish or weary consciences require, which is not spread before men and Rich abundance in Christ. It's a generous salvation that got offers.

Rob is on its way. We were taught secondly in this Parable that the offers and invitations of the Gospel are most Broad and liberal. We read that he who made the supper sent his servants at the time of the banquet to say to those who are invited to come for all things are now ready. There is nothing lacking on God's part for the Salvation of man. If man is not say the fault is not on God's side. The father is ready to receive all who come to him by Christ. The son is ready to cleanse all from their sins. Who do I apply to him by faith? The spirit is ready to come to all who ask for him. There is an infinite willingness in God to save man if man is only willing to be saved there is the fullest warrants for Sinners to draw near to God by Christ the word, Ms. Address to all without exception. What a gracious and generous salvation. God has worked on behalf of his people.

My first point of application is this how would you respond? How should you respond to someone who is invited you into their home? And is put a wonderful Feast before you and has hosted you and cared for you. How would you respond in that case? I suggest you the one of the things you would do as you would you would praise the host. That was the best. Lasagna I have ever had. That's how you made for dessert tasted like it was made by a professional you are an amazing cook. That's an appropriate response to Grace and generosity and you'd also give thanks. Thank you so much for the effort. You went to thank you for inviting our family to your home thankful for thank you for the wonderful meal you have prepared.

It so by way of application in regards to this parable. Let us be people who praise and thank God particular in regards and in response to his generosity and graciousness in the Salvation that comes through the gospel.

Let's look at the invitees. Now, who are these invitees? Who do they represent in this Parable? Well, they represent Israelites generally and religious leaders specifically, but they really represent anyone who presumes for unbiblical reasons that they will be in the marriage supper of the lamb and enjoy the end-time banquet. Now likely the first invitation that was sent out is representative of God's prophets and Priests and Kings who taught Israel about God and what it meant to live in Covenant with him.

But these invitees are people who presume they will make it into heaven, but give no indication by the way, they live their lives that they will be there and give no indication by what they understand to be true about the kingdom of God that they will be there. They are more concerned with money and possessions and evens family than they are with the things of God. The Pharisees to whom Jesus told this Parable work presuming they would be at this end of Ages banquet. But in reality they were behaving like the invitees of this Parable because they were rejecting Jesus and they were rejecting his teaching and in doing so they're rejecting the invitation to come to the banquet. Nobody should presume that they will be there. Rather we should hear and receive the invitation of God to be there. Understand everyone here everyone in the sound of my voice each and every one of you are invited to the banquet of with God a bank with the Youth Intervention by receiving the invitation through repentance and faith.

And I can say that with conviction because God is gracious.

If you're here this morning and you're not a Believer, you don't consider yourself a Christian. You never entrusted your life to God through Christ. You've never availed yourself of Christ's work on the cross. Understand that you are invited the god invites you into this end-time banquet. But you need to also understand that you. Don't deserve the invitation. None of us do. Cuz every human being shows themselves to be a person who rejects the invitation of God at least initially.

Our sins those things we do that are evil that are contrary to God. They are the evidence that we are all at least once rejectors of the invitation. God created us to be his people in and he would be our God and yet we deny him this rightful place in the evidence of this is our sins. And he sends demonstrate that we don't deserve to be invited but he is gracious and he is offered salvation to you through his son. And understand again. God is a generous. It is a full and complete salvation he offers to you this morning. He sent his life to live a meritorious life of perfect obedience and a substitutionary death of perfect satisfaction. In Christ through faith. We have forgiveness of sins. We have a declaration of perfect righteousness. We have reconciliation to the father. We have Redemption from sin and death and the devil we have life Everlasting. Let me encourage you this morning. Do not reject or dismiss or put off this invitation. Turn from your sin believe in Jesus. Do not presume that you will be their complacency in regards to the gospel invitation to Believe In Christ will result in Ultimate rejection and never participating in the heavenly banquet of God's people. Do not presume you will be in heaven if you never have accepted God's invitation.

Let's move on now to the attenders. Who are these who are attending who do they represent the people who ultimately attend this banquet are God's people they're his family to their citizens of the kingdom of God the Disciples of Jesus.

The one thing we need to understand is we look at this Parable and when I say we I mean Believers we need to understand that we are the needy and the lowly in the outcasts of the disenfranchised in the marginalized and the week in the foolish. 1st Corinthians 1 26 through 29 Paul rights for consider calling brother's not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. Not many more powerful not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise God chose? What is a week in the world to shame the strong God chose? What is low and despised in the world even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God we would do well by way of application this morning to consider ourselves the foolish the week the low in the despised if we think God is lucky to have us on his team. We are risking being the presumptive one. Who will think that we will be in that in time banquet?

It doesn't matter who you are related to it. Doesn't matter where you come from. It doesn't matter what letters you have after your name. It doesn't matter what your bank account balance is. None of it matters in terms of impressing God and none of those things will result in Salvation God and choosing you chose the loan despise the weak and the foolish and there's something helpful. for us to think of ourselves that way

understand again this morning, unbeliever The your lowness or your weakness or your poverty is no excuse not to come to the banquet. In fact, if that's you you're just the kind of person that God wants to party with.

That's who I ended up at his party. Finally. We finish this morning looking at the servant. Who is the servant and what does the servant represent? I believe the servant is Jesus and by extension Jesus's disciples. Jesus came were told to preach the gospel. And upon his leaving. He empowered his disciples to preach the gospel. The gospel being that great invitation to the end time marriage supper of the Lamb of God we read about in Isaiah 61 verse 1 or Isaiah prophesied about Jesus coming into the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to bring the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the Brokenhearted to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound and we read 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 24 Paul writes. Therefore we we Believers are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God now. We are the ones who give the invitation I'm so clearly this Parable is a is a call to evangelize we are sent by God to invite people to his eschatological banquet through repentance and faith.

Take note that the servant didn't gripe when he had to do a do-over and terms of invitations it already done the work of sending out the first invitations you tired and on the work of the summons cuz it was time to eat. As Master says go invite more in a serving doesn't gravy just keeps on inviting. He keeps on going to people and requesting and trying to tell them and persuade them to come to this banquet.

This Parable is also a call to not neglect the disadvantaged. We are called to remember the poor in the week in the lane and the outcasts in the needy. I was to encourage this past weekend kaporis early on Saturday morning. A homeless lady showed up at the church. She comes around here from time to time.

And I saw as the workers of kaporis Welcome to Rin daughters some food got her some coffee and courage to you're welcome to come to the proceedings of the day. She didn't stay around but she came back in the afternoon and I again saw the kaporos workers the volunteers got her leftovers filler bag up with food and courage her to stay where it was warm while she was waiting for her bus. I'm encouraged by seeing Graham and all his volunteers there work with. the Northwest Community Center getting involved in the lives of those. I'm impressed when our church goes and helps it arcade not neglecting the poor in the needy and so many ways. We need to remember that this morning. This Parable cause us to a lot of things and it certainly cause us to not neglect the disadvantage. Finally we study this Parable at my life group on Wednesday night. And I really enjoy studying God's word and Community with my life group and they brought to my attention something that I had overlooked. Interesting as you look at the servant and and how he goes about inviting people to the bank. Well, first of all, it's an invitation, but secondly the master says go out into the city streets and bring them. Bring them to the banquet the word bring means you lead them here. Don't just drop off an invitation but walk with them. Walk with them bring them to my house. And finally this word compel which means persuade we are to ask people to come to the banquet of the Lord through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We Ross was supposed to lead them by walking with them. Walking with them as they come to the home doing life with them so that they might see and and where to persuade them. Remember our definition of evangelism evangelism is teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade look at the great effort that the servant does in order to get his master's House full. invite bring compel

So we see in this Parable in his teaching of Jesus that God generously and graciously desires people to be present. What is a scatological bank would they he desires done to be saved? His graciousness and generosity in this should cause us to praise him and thank him for this great salvation. None of us here should presume we will be at that in time dinner. But each one has been invited and you can have insurance that you'll be there if you responded to that invitation with repentance and faith.

That's not such a bad thing to consider yourself a foolish a week a needy one who has been saved by a gracious God. Let's not forget the poor. And let us not forget to evangelize. Let's pray.

gracious and generous Heavenly Father We praise you and thank you for this great salvation.

The you have offered to each one. We thank you and praise you that this is a gracious salvation that we could not earn. And it's a generous salvation. What's the cows for every possible knee we could have? I pray father God that you by your spirit would help each one of your people here this morning. To rejoice in their salvation to praise you into thank you and I pray father God that you by your spirit would open up the eyes of unbelievers to the glory of this salvation to the invitation that's offered to them. We would help them to receive that imitate invitation through repentance and faith.

Father God help us to understand that each one of us apart from you is median poor and weak and lame.

Help us father God to not neglect those who are disenfranchised and marginalized in our society. And help us at all times to all people. To willingly invite them and leave them in persuade them of your glorious salvation in Christ name. I pray amen.