Be His Guest

Outline:

Don’t miss your chance, accept the invite (v. 15-17)

Don’t be led astray, delight in Jesus. (v. 18-20)

Know your place. (v. 21-23)

Thank your host. (v. 24)

Intro

Series Slide: Gospel of Luke

Read the Passage

Luke 14:15–24 ESV

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.’ ”

Last week we were in Luke 13 discussing the parable of the narrow door, which is a parable equating entering heaven to entering the master’s house…and we learned a few things about entering the house.

Not everyone who desired, or said they desired, would be granted access to the house. In fact, the parable tells us that there will be those of us that don’t enter heaven because we rely on things that aren’t good enough to save us. We rely on them, and some of us will rely on them until it’s too late to do anything else about it.

We walked through some of those things. Your words saying you want to be saved aren’t good enough in themselves, your church isn’t good enough to save you, your parents and the way you were raised….your good actions…none of those are good enough to save you.

But we also discussed what was good enough to save you

Jesus Christ crucified

And I gave you an opportunity last week to enter the house. To be saved. To repent and believe.

This week we are talking about a similar illustration. Except, instead of heaven being a house that you enter, it’s a feast that you get to partake in.

But today we are thinking through a different aspect. Instead of pleading with those of you tonight who think you’re going to be saved but aren’t…I’m going to be speaking to those of you that are to wrapped up in yourself to truly accept the invite in the first place.

Instead of just letting you know that the things you are relying on aren’t good enough to save you…this scripture calls for you to turn from what is distracting you…and be his guest.

That’s the title of this message.

Title Slide: Be His Guest

Be His Guest

Really…it’s how to be his guest. How to be a guest at his feast…and let’s start with the most important reminder. I’ve already sorta hit on it…

Point Slide: Don’t miss your chance, accept the invite. (v.15-17)

Don’t miss your chance, accept the invite. (v.15-17)

Look back at verse 15 in our text.

Luke 14:15 ESV

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!”

So what this man is saying is true. Yes, blessed will be everyone who gets to eat bread in the kingdom of God. And this isn’t the only place that we see this.

It’s mentioned in Luke of course, in Isaiah, and also in Revelation.

Scripture Slide: Here’s what revelation has to say about it.

Revelation 19:9 ESV

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Once again, the idea of being with God in heaven is described as a feast…a banquet…and John in revelation is saying that those who are invited are…blessed.

Point slide: Don’t miss the invite, accept the invite. (v.15-17)

So the man’s statement in verse 15 is true. Truly, blessed will be those are participate in the banquet that is to come. But Jesus…just like last week and just like we know Jesus to do…he has more to say on the matter. At first, he begins along the same lines of what we studied last week…that there will be those who are invited. Look back at verse 16 and 17.

Luke 14:16–17 ESV

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.’

Just like in our teaching last week…Jesus is first talking to the Jews. They are the ones who have been initially invited. They are the ones Jesus is preaching to. They are God’s chosen people and the man that Jesus is speaking to knows this. But also just like last week…we should know that his invitation has been extended to us today. To the gentiles (non jewish people). We are going to see that later in verse 23, but we will get to that. For now, we need to understand that certain people are invited, and that invite now extends to us…and our point of application here is.

Don’t miss the invite.

Don’t miss the call to salvation.

Don’t miss your opportunity to know Christ and his goodness, his abundance, his death and resurrection for you. Don’t miss that opportunity…the opportunity that I gave last week.

And guess what…Jesus hasn’t come back this week, which means that it’s still not too late for you to accept the invite. And if you’d like to do that…or you did last week and you haven’t really talked about it yet, come find me afterwards in the parking lot. Let’s have a conversation about where you’re at.

But for now…don’t miss the point of application from these first two verses…which is don’t miss the invite to be at the table, because someday the Lord is going to make good on his invite, and send his servant out to collect everyone who has been invited…and your chance for an invite will be too late.

Now the rest of the passage…concerns itself with those who should have accepted the invite. The Jews back then and for us today…those who the gospel has been offered and are rejecting it. Don’t be that person.

And…if you’re saying to yourself “I’ve accepted the invite”…great! However, as we keep reading…keep your eyes on the text and your ears open as a way of truly evaluating if you’ve accepted the invite…or you just say you’re going to.

Have you accepted the invite? Or have you just rsvp’d but when the time comes to enter God’s house you’re going to be found to actually have given your life over to other things. Are you going to be someone who says that they will come…but when the rubber hits the pavement, you’re also coming up with excuses as to why you don’t delight in joking God in his house and his banquet?

So, just want to encourage you. Don’t miss your chance…accept the invite. And if you say you’ve accepted it…watch out for the things we’re about to discuss.

Look back at verse 18.

Luke 14:18–20 ESV

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.’

So one of the things we learn from this, is that there will be those of us who have supposedly been declared as an invited guest, and yet when the time comes…we will make excuses as for why we don’t want to be with Jesus. The point of application he see here is this.

Point slide: Don’t be led astray, delight in Jesus. (v.18-20)

Let’s focus on the first half of this application point first. Don’t be led astray…why did I choose that wording? Because that is what is happening to the invited guests in this passage.

The Lord’s servant come to let them know…the banquet is here! It’s time! Come now to the feast! And what do they do? It says in verse 18 there…they…made excuses.

And then it goes on to say what their excuses were. And we see..that there excuses for not attending the banquet were because they had been led astray by the things of this world.

What were they?

1) The first man says I’ve bought a field there in verse 18.

2) The second says I’ve bought some oxen in verse 19.

3) The third says I got married in verse 20.

In other words…what do we see are the things that have led these men astray? Simple.

Possessions, finances, and family.

3 huge categories that tend to lead christians astray in their walk with God. And…even more important to you right now…three of the main motivators for why all of you are doing what you’re doing right now. Why you’re in college, getting your degree…or starting your career.

Just a show of hands…how many of you are doing what you’re doing right now, at least partly, because it is a means to provide money to support your future (or current family) as well as provide for what you and they might need? How many of you would that be?

You see, these three excuses that these guests have…are dangerous for us as well because they are in our lives. And it’s not wrong to have them in our lives.

Family is a gift from God. Provision is a gift from God. Finances are a gift from God.

Those things are wrong…but what is wrong…is when they take the place of God. Because what can then happen is what Paul is speaking of in Romans about those who have turned from God. This is what he says.

Romans Slide

Romans 1:21–25 ESV

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

This…right here…is what these invited guest have done. For although they knew God, and were invited to the banquet by him…they did not honor him…and instead did what?

They exchanged the glory of God…for other things. In this instance…

They exchanged the glory of God for possessions…for land. For us that’s a good house, good car, good safe neighborhood, nice backyard, somewhere pretty and clean...

They exchanged the glory of God for finances…nice paying job, cushioned bank account, retirement plan, summer vacay house..

They exchanged the glory of God for family…a good wife or husband, couple of kids, peaceful relationship with the in-laws or siblings...

Guys…none of these things are wrong in of themselves, but when are they wrong?

When like it says in Romans…when they take the place of the glory of God in your life.

Now is it possible to transactionally, actually, physically exchange God’s glory for anything? Meaning, is it possible to physically diminish God’s glory and make him less glorious? No. So what does this mean?

It means that the Glory of God has been diminished in their hearts…it’s been lessened in their lives…it’s been snuffed out by the things of this world...

Friends. Don’t be led astray.

Back to Slide: Don’t be led astray, delight in Jesus. (v. 18-20)

Don’t be led astray by the things of this world…don’t let them take a hold in your heart in a way that increases your passion for them and diminishes your passion for God and his glory. Don’t choose to worship the created, rather than the creator. Don’t do it.

Don’t be led astray…but rather. Delight in Jesus.

So how do you do that? How do you delight in Jesus.

Oh, there’s so many ways we could talk about practical points of application, ways to increase your delight in Jesus. Scripture, prayers, meditation, fasting, memorization, community, and serving…so, so many. We don’t possibly have time to cover them all, but…there are two that are found in this passage right here...two ways that we can immediately increase our delight in Jesus, so as to fight being led astray. And the first one is this...

Point slide: Know your place. (v. 21-23)

I know this sounds like an aggressive point. Like you hear it sometimes when someone is being talked down to like “hey buddy, know your place.” But that’s not how I mean this point. Look at the passage and I’ll explain. Verse 21.

Luke 14:21–23 ESV

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.

So this part of the parable is crucial for us…and it relates to last weeks message as well. The point of this part of the passage is for Jesus to teach the Jews that not only will those who are considered unrighteous and low and disgusting in the eyes of the hypocritically righteous will be saved…but that gentiles will be saved as well.

That we will be saved.

That what belonged to the Jews…the first chosen people of God…will also belong to us.

Friends, that’s why “know your place” is such a joyful point. That’s why “know your place” is a perfect way for us to decrease our idols and increase our joy in God.

Because…what I’m saying with this point is, know what your place should have been.

We as non-jews, are not the originally invited guests in this story…we aren’t even those that are living in the lances and streets like it says in verse 19. That would be those who are considered weak and defiled Jews…no…we aren’t even the weak and defiled Jews who were hated for their diseases and their mistakes in life.

We aren’t even them.

What we are…are the people who lived out in the highways and hedges. The people who didn’t even belong in town…let alone the banquet.

We, as gentiles, were living our own way…worshipping our own gods, living life not for him but for us…and then we were compelled to the banquet. That word compelled in verse 23 there is such a great word to be used here. Other translations will say “make them come in”.

It’s as if we were a people who were hiding in the hedges, and we blinked and all of the sudden we are sitting at the table. We are walking the highways and take a step and find ourselves walking through the door of God’s house.

That’s how amazing that is…it’s not only that we are saved, but it’s that God saved us even when we didn’t want it…even when we didn’t know him.

To know our place is to understand the immense blessing it is to be invited in the first place.

To know our place helps us put all the things that lead us astray in perspective.

Like I love my wife…I love my job…I love my kids…I love the passions and hobbies....but....but God loved me enough to compel me to a place at the table. He loved me enough to invite me when I didn’t deserve the invitation.

And the more I know my place, the more I reflect on what I deserved…the more I appreciate where I now belong and the more all the things that I love and value are put into perspective.

Knowing your place is a way to increase your delight in Jesus. So if you’re in need of that…if you’ve been led astray by something of this world…something you love…and you’re finding it hard to find delight in Jesus…spend some time in prayer and reflection.

Spend some time trying to understand what this verse means when it says that he took those who were out in the hedges and highways and compelled them to the banquet.

Spend some time trying to understand what it meant that you didn’t even desire salvation and yet the Lord brought you right to it.

How can you avoid being led astray and delight in Jesus? Know your place.

And our last point is in the same vein as knowing our place…because it says there in verse 24..

Luke 14:24 ESV

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

It tells me that my place is special because there are those who are originally invited, who will never get to experience what I will experience at the end of my days. And to the depth that I know my place…is the depth that I can thank the host of the banquet. That’s our last point tonight.

Point slide: Thank your host (v.24).

If you were here last year, you might remember our message about the woman who worshipped Jesus in the midst of the scribes and pharisees. She worshiped him and they despised her for it…and he told them this.

Luke Scripture Slide

Luke 7:47 ESV

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Do you see that logic there?

He who is forgiven little, loves little.

Meaning…that to the extent that you understand how you’ve been forgiven…the extent in which you will love God.

The same for our passage tonight...

Back to Point Slide: Thank your host (v.24)

The extent in which you know the place you were undeservedly given....the extent that you’ll thank the host for giving it to you.

To put is even shorter.

The more grateful you are for your salvation. The more you’ll worship God because of it.

The more you’ll be filled with thankfulness and joy and love in your heart towards God.

And if you’re looking for a way to avoid being led astray by the things of this world…if you’re looking for a way to keep your mind focused on Christ and what he’s done for you…there’s not much better than worship. Which is the literal act of decreasing ourselves and increasing him.

Decreasing our idols, and increasing his glory in our lives.

So…to put this all together over the past two weeks.

Heaven is described as a feast or banquet.

Some who think they will get in won’t.

Because they relied on their desire, or church attendance, or good deeds, or way they were raised.

And, some people who hear the invite or have claimed they want to attend the banquet will be found to not care…

Because they don’t delight in God and would rather love the things of this world. They may appear to be true guests of the king…but really their heart is far from him.

And the imperative of all this…is where do you fit in to this? Where are you? Where will you be? And how are you living your life accordingly?

Are you worried you’ve gone astray and you need help to get back? You need help to see these things better in your life? Join a C Group.