October 25, 2009
Sermon #806
Invitation to a Banquet
Luke 14:1 - 24 (NKJV) 1Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 4But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
7So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
15Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
23Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
In the house of a ruler
Introduction: Once more, let me set the scene for you. A Pharisee, who was on the court of Israel, had invited Jesus to dinner. It was a Sabbath meal. Guests were set at the table according to preference as to who they were. Jesus was placed behind and alongside of a man who had dropsy, which is an infectious disease causing swollen, sponge-like cavities. This was done in order to gross Him out, and his host and others were watching to see His reaction.
Let me clear your mind of a portrait of Jesus. He was not the stern, sad, mournful man that is pictured in the Puritan writings and painting. Jesus was a laughing, joking man with a great sense of humor. Jesus turned to the lawyers at the table and gave them a legal problem. “Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath? Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”
Now picture the scene: Jesus touches the man and immediately all of the swelling disappears. Without paying any attention to the miracle that has just happened, He says, “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Now, taking a bite of food from the table, He tells them a story about His kingdom!
The Kingdom of God is like a sumptuous banquet.
Matthew 22:1 - 14 (NKJV) 1And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ 5But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The Kingdom of God is not like a long, dreary funeral procession
The Kingdom of God is a festive occasion of fellowship and delight
Jesus was not a recluse
Matthew 11:18 - 20 (NKJV) 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” 20Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
Matthew 13:44 (NKJV) 44“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 25:23 (NKJV) 23His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Luke 24:52 - 53 (NKJV) 52And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
ILL: Does this sound like a group of people sitting around on hard benches, dressed in black, with their faces looking like they had just eaten a sour pickle. Some Christians look like they were pickled in vinegar and if they were to laugh they would break.
ILL: The Kingdom of God is “Good News!”
ILL: John Wesley established the Kingswood School. The children were required to get up at 4AM for prayer. There were no recess, no holidays and no play or laughter allowed. Do you think those children learned to love Jesus? Being “In Christ,” is to be filled with joy, laughter, being a Christian should be fun! The word for “praise” has its root in “play.”
Jesus told them the story, chastising them for their pride, then He told them the story of the wedding guests.
The invitation was given without date or time
Revelation 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Matthew 24:32 - 44 (NKJV) 32“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Matthew 25:6 - 10 (NKJV) 6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Luke 12:35 - 40 (NKJV) 35“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
ILL: The burning question is – are you ready?
When the time comes, they have excuses.
The frivolous excuses
Earthly possessions
Luke 14:18 The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
ILL: This one bought a field he has never seen? (Jesus is showing us how stupid men’s excuses will be.)
Luke 14:19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them.’
ILL: A yoke of oxen he had never seen plow?
When the Rapture comes, you will not be able to hold onto your possessions and go up!
Matthew 24:15 - 22 (NKJV) 15“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
ILL: While this applied to Epiphanes, it will also apply to the second coming. If you want someone or something more than the Kingdom of God you will lose both! The truth is some people are so afraid that becoming a disciple of Jesus will cost them something, they turn away from the Kingdom.
Personal Relationships
Luke 14:20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
ILL: This was legal:
Deuteronomy 24:5 (NKJV) 5“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
ILL: How about that a year-long honeymoon?
While your spouse is to be second in your life, they are never to be first!
Luke 14:25 - 27 (NKJV) 25Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Do not let an unbelieving loved one carry you to hell!
If you will not fill your place in the Kingdom of God, He will find someone who will
Luke 14:21 - 24 (NKJV) 21So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
ILL: One of the things I have learned as a minister for 48 years is that if someone will not fill their place in the Church, God will bring in someone who will. They may not be as whole, they may not be as talented, they may not even be as spiritual as you are, but God can and will replace anyone in the Church - now and in the Kingdom of God later!
ILL: Can you imagine the scene when all those poor, maimed, lame, blind, and even highwaymen come into the banquet?
Conclusion: Reject God’s grace now and you may never get another invitation to the banquet!
