Luke 14:1-24 HOW YOU ARE CALLED TO BE A HUMBLE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

HOW ARE YOU TO BE A HUMBLE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

*Come to Pulpit

*Layout Items

*Greet Congregation -Good Morning I welcome you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are here this morning because God calls us into his presence to Bless us by his Holy Spirit and by the means of Grace.

Our Call to Worship - Matthew 23:11-12

Matthew 23:11-12, ESV

The New King James Version Chapter 23

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Let Us Rise for the singing of Gods Word.

Let us open our Book of Psalms for singing to Psalm 80B

That’s Psalm 80B

Let us Pray

The Book of Psalms: From Suffering to Glory, Volumes 1 & 2 Psalm 122: The Beautiful City of God

We’re marching to Zion … the beautiful city of God.’ As Christians we belong to that heavenly city and are marching toward it. Do we love God’s city which is made up of brothers and sisters in the Lord? Do we prize this city more highly than all the architectural splendours of the world?

Of all the pilgrim psalms (Psalms 120–134) this is most clearly a song of pilgrimage

LET US NOW SING .... #122A I was filled with Joy and Gladness

*Invocation …Let us Pray

Father in heaven I pray that you will enlighten the minds of your people and use your Words through my mouth your servant to bless your people.

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

Responsive Reading……………………………… Psalm 122 (TH p.831)

Responsive Reading

I rejoiced with those who said to me,”Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.

That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.

to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel.

There the thrones of judgement stand, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.

For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you”

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Lets go to the Lord in Prayer

Prayer of Confession and Repentance

I call on you, O Lord; hasten to me.

Listen to my voice when I call to you.

Let my prayer be set before you as incense,

the lifting up of my palms as the evening offering.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips.

Do not incline Our hearts to do any evil thing,

or to practice wicked deeds.

with men who do iniquity;

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the Kingdom and the Glory for ever Amen.

Our Assurance of Pardon comes from 1 Peter 2:9-10

People of God

1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Hymn of Thanksgiving Let us rise.. and turn in our Handout or your TPH TPH #123 To You, O Lord, I Lift My Eyes

EXPLANATION

Each of the previous pilgrim psalms or ‘Song of Ascents’) has been characterised by a word that has special significance for that psalm: in Psalm 120 it was the ‘tongue’; in Psalm 121 it was ‘keep’; in Psalm 122 it was ‘Jerusalem’. Here in this prayer psalm it is God’s ‘mercy’ or better his ‘grace’ that is the dominant theme. The psalmist is crying out for divine favour and this arises out of deep distress caused by those who hold the godly in contempt.

Let us sing #123 To You, O Lord, I Lift My Eyes

Let US Pray

Congregational Prayer

Father we come to you in prayer for the congregation. We Pray for _____________

God, be gracious to us, we wait for you. Be our arm in the mornings, indeed our salvation in the time of trouble.and we ask for all these things in the powerful, glorious, majestic, and wonderful name of Jesus Christ Amen.

THE LORD FEEDS US FROM HIS WORD

Scripture Reading……...……………………..……………Philippians 2:1-30

HEAR NOW THE VERY WORD OF GOD

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Let God add His Blessing to this reading of His Word.

Let us now turn in our Bibles to the Luke 14:1-24

Sermon Text………………...…………….……………………….Luke 14:1-24

Sermon HP - How you are called to be a humble disciple of Jesus Christ

Turn in your Bible to Luke 14:1-24 repeat Luke 14:1-24

HP- How you are called to be a humble disciple of Jesus Christ

HEAR NOW THE VERY WORD OF GOD

English Standard Version Chapter 14

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

15 When 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!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

We will be looking at 3 scenes in this passage that will point you towards being a humble disciple of Christ.

1. The healing of the Man on the Sabbath

2. The Parable of the Wedding Feast.

3. The Parable of the Great Banquet

· SO HOW ARE YOU TO BE A HUMBLE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST?

· OR WHY SHOULD YOU SEEK TO BE A HUMBLE DISCIPLINE OF CHRIST?

Illustration by. Charles Spurgeon

Do Not Let Your Head Grow Faster Than Your Heart

If your child should have a rapid growth in its arms but not in its legs,

or if its legs should lengthen but not its arms,

this would not be normal It is the growth of each limb in a proportion that brings the man to perfection.

So when our heads grow faster than our hearts, it is an ill sign.

Yet how many know a great deal more than they feel, and criticize much more than they believe!

It is also an evil thing when a man’s tongue grows bigger than his head;

when he has more to say than he knows or does;

when, like Mr. Talkative [of Pilgrim’s Progress], he can talk about the road to heaven but makes no progress in it.

I pray that God would give you an abundance of his Holy Spirit,

that you may never deserve our Lord’s rebuke that he gives to the Pharisee in our text,

(Phil 4:8).

“It was necessary to do these things while not neglecting those,”

but “Whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable,

whatever things are right, whatever things are pure,

whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable,

if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things” (Phil 4:8). May you have them all

· SO HOW ARE YOU TO BE A HUMBLE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

1. Point 1 God Commands Humility

· BECAUSE OUR LORD JESUS WAS HUMBLE AND OUR LORD CALLS YOU TO A HUMBLE LIFE.

· AND THIS HUMILITY IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT COME NATURAL

WITH OUR SINFUL NATURAL STATE OF SEEKING OUR GLORY AND HONOR.

· RATHER HUMILITY WILL LEAD US TO SEEK THE HONOR OF OTHERS

· HUMILITY WILL LEAD US TO SEEK THE HONOR OF OUR LORD.

This seeking of the Honor of Christ should be our greatest pursuit in life.

“ O how I love your law it is my study all the day.” should be are words.

· THE PROBLEM IS UNTIL GOD HUMBLES YOU YOU WILL NOT SEEK GOD AND YOU WILL NOT BOW THE KNEE TO CHRIST

So I will repeat are we “like mister talkative did in pilgrims progress. Are we always speaking about the things of God but never able to make any progress in the things of God?

· So why is it so difficult for men and women to obey this command of God to be humble?

It’s because Man needs help!

Without Christ, man is not only helpless but hopeless.

If you desire to help in the work of the church on earth it’s a good thing.

But before anyone can help with His work, they must be fitted for this service.

Man must rely on Christ. Christ’s disciples must be humble; without the help of our Lord, you can do nothing.

THE GOOD NEWS IS God works through such people as you

I. THE HEALING OF THE MAN WITH DROPSY—vv. 1–6

1. In verses 1-2, we read of the skeptics The Jewish leaders and followers watch to see if Christ will heal the man with dropsy on the Sabbath. They were always critical of Christ and trying to trap him remember back in Luke 11:54. It says these Pharisees were lying in wait for him to catch him disobeying their man-made laws.

2. This is not how the Disciples Act; these Pharisees were legalists.

Is this how we apply the Sabbath always worried about what your brother or sister in Christ is doing on the Lords Day?

Is our goal to Glorify God or catch our brother and sister to point out their sin.

They their sin its all to apparent .

God brings it to their minds and heart.

Should we keep the Lords Day Yes.

Should we try to use it to catch our brother and sister and make them stumble Absolutely not.

Becasue then your the Pharisee in the story who is attacking Christ.

What is Christ teaching us. Acts of Mercy are always acceptable even on the Sabbath.

3. Think of this if it happened today, And this Pharisee would be the equivalent of your Pastor today.

And he invited you to dinner.

But this is worse Becasue they invited Christ to dinner.

And they didn't invite you or Christ because they wanted to care for your physical needs and feed you.

This Pastor wanted to catch Christ doing something that they had declared to be sinful in there adding laws to Gods Law.

6. They wanted him to heal this man on the Sabbath.

7. The Pharisee also invited this man over who had dropsy not to help him or minister to him but to use him as bait for Jesus.

· They were TESTING GOD

1. They put tests before God

2. Do we put Christ to the test, or do you follow Christ because He is lovely and Worthy and He is your Lord.

3. Many Christians today may relate to this when they pray to God.

4. DO YOU PRAY!

5. I will follow you, Lord, if you heal me of this disease.

6. Or I will follow you, Lord, if you help me get through this trial in life.

7. We should not approach God in prayer only to TEST GOD.

THIS IS NOT HUMILITY

We should not approach our ill friend who has dropsy for any other reason but to honor God and to pray that he might have mercy on this poor man who is suffering from dropsy.

8. When we pray to God, we must be humble BECAUSE GOD COMMANDS US TO BE HUMBLE.

9. SO HOW DOES THIS HUMILITY LOOK

In the Old Testament we are given some direction?

1. Leviticus 19:34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God

2. We should have humble compassion in how we help this man with Dropsy.

3. These Pharisees are like this man with Dropsy except they are spiritually sick because they would rather let this man suffer than have Christ mercifully heal him.

4. So, what is it like to have Dropsy?

This isn't a term we use today

5. Today we call it Edema

1. Edema is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in certain tissues within the body. The accumulation of fluid may be under the skin - usually in dependent areas such as the legs (peripheral edema, or ankle edema), or it may accumulate in the lungs (pulmonary edema).

2. This Dropsy is life debilitating.

· It can be caused by a bacterial infection or parasitic infection or liver dysfunction.

· This man is maybe drowning because of fluid in his lungs.

· Maybe he has lost the use of one of his limbs because it's swelling so much.

· Maybe he is on the verge of death because his body is shutting down.

· Would he hide the swelling in his limb with clothing?

· Or was he barely able to breathe?

· Was he not pleasant to look at like someone who has a deformity or who has been marred by some accident in life.

Would you not want to look at him?

· Do we hide our sickness from the world by covering it up?

· Do we hide our lack of humility our sin of a lack of humility from the world

by masking it with smiles and handshakes lying to ourselves and lying to others about our spiritual sickness?

· Christ is speaking to you Christian who have a heart like this Pharisee

Would you rather catch someone breaking our man made laws than rather come to the aid of someone on the Sabbath

Would use this ill man who is drowning or disfigured to help you attack your brother or sister in Christ in the church.

· We need the healing of Christ for our sins.

· Christ is the one who can heal our sin swollen flesh.

Christ calls you to Humilty

You are call to be a Humble Disciple of Christ.

You are to show humility and mercy.

And not to be Proud like this Pharisee who says Gotcha.

6. The Pharisees are in need of healing, just like this man with dropsy.

1. Not because their body is filling with a fluid like this man,

2. They are going to drown because they are going to drown in the lake that burns with fire if they are not in Christ.

3. And so, will all who do not turn to Christ.

Point 2. God exalts and enables us to be Humble

English Standard Version Chapter 14

And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away.

2. In verses 3-4, we read of the silence of the Pharisees. When the Jewish leaders do not respond to Christ’s questions, He takes the sick man by the hand heals him and then leads him away.

1. Oh, that Christ would heal these Pharisees and call them to himself.

2. But Christ is calling them to himself in showing them who He is through this healing of this man with dropsy.

3.He is the Christ who has come to cleanse us from our sin that we are drowning in.

4. Christ is calling you to proclaim the truth about what he has done on the Sabbath, not quench it from those in need.

4. In Verse 5 and Deut. 22:4, we read about practical information for keeping the Sabbath. If an ox falls into the ditch on the Sabbath, do you leave it there? Of course not! Then, why is it wrong to do good by healing this sick man on the Sabbath?

5. It is not wrong to heal him rather,

1. IT’S AN ACT OF MERCY

a. It’s an act of mercy to pull an Ox out of a ditch and healing; this man is an act of mercy.

b. This is what it means to be a servant of Christ

c. In vs. 6. The Pharisees are Speechless. They cannot answer the Lord. They had no just answer because they were violating God’s law.

APPLICATIONS

· Don’t let men put stumbling blocks in front of you that will prevent you from following Jesus like these Pharisees.

· THE SABBATH IS A DELIGHT The Sabbath is not a hindrance; it’s a blessing in which we can help those in need physically and spiritually.

· AND TRUE humility enables you to to help others, especially when it is plain to see from their physical deformities.

II. In Verses 7-11 We see what the HUMILITY OF CHRIST looks like

English Standard Version Chapter 14

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,

1. In verses 7–8, we learn that we are not to seek the best seats when asked to a party. Someone more important than you may be present and require your seat. Always think of others as better than yourself.

1. Who doesn’t want to be important and be recognized?

2. Who doesn’t want to be apart of the popular crowd of people or have a conversation with the guest who is being honored?

3. We all do if we are willing to admit it.

4. But, Christ teaches us to do the opposite of what our natural tendencies are and says, sit at the back of the room and give up the seats that are at the place of honor.

5. Seek to help out your brother and sister in Christ. Matthew 23:11-12

English Standard Version Chapter 23

11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

6. Why you may ask? Because Christ instructs us in Matt 6:24 as well

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Again, don’t act as the Pharisees did.

1. Rather think of the ill, think of the needy, think of your brother or sister in Christ who has expressed a need that you have the ability or the money to help them.

2. But Christ is not just speaking to the Pharisees now he is talking to the dinner guests Vs. 7 says, Now he told a parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they chose the places of honor,

3. So, it’s not just the Pharisees that need correction and direction. It’s you and me.

If your the Pharisee in this story or the dinner guest you struggle with being humble and being merciful.

But not to worry becasue

Point 3 God humbles the proud.

2. Verse 9 speaks of the possibility of SHAME if you act contrary to this teaching. The scripture says, an important person may come, and the host will give your seat to him. This would mean shame and embarrassment to you before the people.

a. Think of a table that is shaped like a U, and the guest of honor would be at the base of that U, and the prominent spots would be the closest to it.

b. If you assume that it's ok to sit at the head table, don’t be surprised if you are asked to move.

c. Don’t seek to exalt yourself to a place of honor.

3. In verse 10, we read of what sincerity looks like. Never seek to be above or better than others. Be humble and meek.

· Verse 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you

1. Don’t try to exalt yourself your friend may come and ask you to a place closer to the front just don’t count on it or make that your goal.

4. In verse 11, we learn of a spiritual law that point us towards being a humble disciple. If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled. If you humble yourself, you will be exalted.

· We should never help people with the object in mind that someday, we may need help and they will owe us a favor. We should help people expecting nothing in return—not even a word of thanks.

But it is a good thing to thank people when they help you.

III. In verses 12–15, we find THE HELPFULNESS that Christ calls us to.

1. In verse 12, we are to PLAN.

1. When you have dinner, don’t invite your relatives and friends since they will invite you to their home for a meal later.

2. Invite someone like this man with dropsy and feed him and help him get medical care.

3. I read that someone with this condition today you can help them by elevating their limbs and soaking them in Epson salt.

4. This means don’t do something with the expectation of being paid back or reimbursed.

5. When you take a friend out to lunch, don’t expect something in return.

6. When you tend to someone’s wounds, do it because Christ healed your wounds and called you to love your brother and sister in Christ.

7. Acts 20:35 ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

EXAMPLE FROM OUR LORD

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

He was suggesting merely that others should do as He had done.

He who was entitled to the highest place of all came from the Father’s house down to this earth.

Here He took the lowest place; but in God’s due time He was given the highest place where today He sits on the right hand of the Father.

It is He who teaches us these lessons of humility, and what a rebuke they are to our pride!

We are always looking for recognition,

and we feel hurt if we do not have it;

but our Lord was ever ready to take the lowest place.

Surely this should put us to shame.

Point 4 God exalts the humble

2. In verse 13, WE READ WHAT SPECIFIC PEOPLE WE ARE TO INVITE.

1. Invite the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. Do it to help the people, expecting nothing in return.

2. Christ is speaking to your heart and motivations behind, giving not whether the person is a worthy candidate.

3. Christ is saying invite them to dinner instead of your friends who can pay you back.

4. Friends this is so practical. Invite those in your church or community that you know who are in need.

5. You know who they are when they ask for prayer because they are going through financial hardship or they broke their leg.

7. You fill in the blank because they are all around us every day and we ignore them and invite those to dinner who will pay us back.

8. Remember there is a reward for you; it just comes in a form your sinful nature is not use to.

Is not that one of the reasons we select certain guests?

When we give a dinner, most of us go over the list and determine who are likely to return the compliment by inviting us to their homes when they put on a similar affair.

This is the accepted procedure in the world,

but it should not be practised by those who profess to follow Christ.

Your reward is in heaven

You receive your reward when you meet Christ face to face at the end of your life.

9. You must humble yourself and become a servant like Jesus.

10. Then and only then will God exalt you because your reward is that you are becoming more like Jesus.

11. Who was more gracious or more humble than Jesus who hung on the cross for your sins?

12. Christ helped the man with dropsy; this is a picture of humility.

13. Christ would have suffered like this man with dropsy on the cross you see when you are crucified your lungs fill with fluid, and it can feel like your drowning just like this man with dropsy felt like he was drowning.

14. Humility is those who help others who are suffering.

3. In verses 14–15, we learn of future Pleasure.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

15 When 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!”

1. At the judgment, the Lord will reward you for your kindness.

2. Christs elect are repaid in heaven when they meet their Lord.

In verse 15, Jesus tells us

1. When 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!”

2. This man got it HOW YOU ARE TO BE A HUMBLE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.

3. Which leads us to how we as believers are to act and treat the Lords Day and people on the Lords Day

That is, if the kingdom of God is the sphere where all seek the lowest place,

and where the poor and disfigured are assured of a glad welcome,

it must be indeed a great privilege to participate in such a wondrous fellowship.

Point 5 Gods Banquet is a picture of the Christian Sabbath and how Christ brought the Gentiles into the church.

· The proud Jews during this time would be cast out because of their own desires of the things of this world rather than the Messiah which had come.

Verse 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.

Kenneth E. Bailey points out

· Throughout the parable, the master speaks (in the singular) to his servant. The phrase, “For I tell you,” is plural. The speaker is no longer the master in the parable, but Jesus is addressing the guests with whom he is eating. For Jesus, the messianic banquet has begun, and that great banquet is his banquet. The religious leaders listening to him are welcome, but if they refuse to attend, the banquet will proceed with the “people of the land,” the outcasts of Israel and will eventually be extended to the Gentiles.

· So, this parable was speaking to the Jews and how they lacked this humility. They would rather take care of their worldly affairs than come to the banquet with Jesus.

· Do we as believers treat the banquet of our Lord which is the Lords day lightly? This is the time when Christ comes and communes with his people.

· Do we say I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it? Please have me excused.’

· Today it sounds like I have bought a house and I have some yard work, or there is a football game on and instead of commune with you Lord I would rather be at my house than God’s house.

· 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.

· We say its Sunday, and I only get two days off a week, and I need to go car shopping today, or I would rather go to the mall than go to the church service and hear about Jesus.

· 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

· This is when we spend time with our family on Sundays and call it a family day or I hang out with my wife on this day, and I don’t have time for my true bridegroom whom I will be married to in heaven.

· Christ will resist the proud but will give grace to the HUMBLE

· Verse 24 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.

Point 6 Christ will not allow those at his banquet who don’t humble themselves.

If you don’t come to Christ’s feast once a week, why would you think you would like it in heaven

or that you would even like being there?

· The Lords day is a picture of how the saints will commune with Christ in heaven.

This is the way men treat the gospel invitation.

The natural man has no desire for the things of God.

The privilege of a place at the great supper of salvation means nothing to him.

For him the feast is spread in vain.

It is only when God’s Spirit works in the heart and conscience of a man that he is ready to enter and sit down at the gospel feast.

When in love God spread the feast for Israel, they would not go in.

It is just as true of many Gentiles today.

I do not know of anything else in which men are in such agreement.

They are not in agreement on political questions or on religious questions, but they do not want Christ,

and do not want to submit their lives to the Saviour whom God has provided until they are convicted by the Holy Spirit of their lost, needy state.

· If we deny Christ among men on earth, then he will deny you in heaven

· And we are promised this in Matt 10:33, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

4. So, turn to Christ and look to his Word and how He lived. Pray for Gods Mercy and His Spirit to be upon you that you might walk as a Humble Disciple of Christ and come into his presence.

5. Christ tells us in Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

6. Seek our humble savior Jesus Christ

7. And this is what you will hear Matt 25:21” Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

*Let us pray

Father, we thank you for this teaching on what it means to be a humble disciple of yours Lord save us and deliver us and Help us to follow your word more closely in these areas of Mercy and the Sabbath, Jesus give us a new heart that loves you. Help us not to exalt ourselves in social gatherings but to rather give you all the glory honor and praise Lord Jesus. Becasue it is you Jesus that we are to raise up with our Words and actions to others You must increase and we must decrease. Help us to Humble our selves to you our glorious King. In Christ name.

AMEN.

*Hymn of Response ...………………….... TPH #124 Now Israel May Say

WE ARE DISMISSED WITH GOD’S BLESSING

*God’s Word of Blessing

May the Lord be with you and keep you throughout the week.

Our closing hymn is from the TPH #567

*Closing Hymn…………………..………………………. TPH #567 Doxology