Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on PARABLES OF JESUS: The Great Banquet, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Faith and Obedience
Luke chapter 14 there is another parable we looked at this chapter of Scripture last week and we came up to the middle section. Of this chapter and we came right up to what is called the parable of the great banquet or the great supper or the.
- Feast and we're gonna look at that this morning briefly and this is going to be the last parable that we look at in.
- Our series of the parables so we started a series this summer and we've looked at a number of parables of Jesus and really.
- The theme of all of these have been the way that Jesus through story form teaches his disciples his followers even crowds of people.
- Who may not be followers how his kingdom is altogether different and we're gonna look at the final way that plays out in this.
Passage of Scripture and it's a really an extension of last week last week Jesus taught a story about if you go to a. Wedding feast don't take the best seat you can take the best seat what could happen is you don't deserve that so you're gonna.
Life in the Church
Of confuse the crowds and really separate those who are serious from those who are just excited and we need to hear that because. What we're doing on Sunday morning and American church has a lot to do with excitement it's exciting to come to church is exciting.
- To listen to a good sermon if you can find one it's exciting to listen to the songs that inspire us but then what.
- Happens so often you go to church Sunday morning and you're excited about Jesus you're excited about the Bible and you want to live.
- It out and then Monday morning hits an excitement can turn into excuses and so Jesus drawing that out of this man's statement blessed.
- Is he it's almost a sarcastic statement and so Jesus will say well let me tell you one more story about this I know.
You're excited about eating the bread in the kingdom but are you sure you're gonna be there are you sure you're gonna get to. A place where you have a seat at the banquet table of God so Jesus says this in response to this man's excitement he.
Grace and Justification
This is the Masters banquet of all eternity and it happens to be what he wants to do with your life and all the. Studies that we've done on the parables we have seen all of these radical ways that Jesus wants to invite you into following him. And they're really radical I mean think about some of these lessons that have come out the parable of the prodigal son that's radical. Reconciliation a son takes all his father's good and he wastes it and he lives his life lavishly with partying and prostitutes and gets. To the very end of his rope and then he comes back to say basically I've got nothing left will you have me back. What does the father do he throws him a feast he's radically loves his son he meets him as soon as he sees him. On the rise in life he covers him with love and we get excited about that but what happens sometimes hard to live out. What Jesus is actually calling us to do we think of the parable of the unforgiving servant it's radical forgiveness seventy times seven forgiveness. Meaning unlimited amount of grace that we give to people in our lives who have heard us we continually offer forgiveness looking to the. Example of Christ who forgiving who has forgiven every single one of us of countless ways that we have offended the perfect will of. God and then what happens we get excited about that wow what a good God we serve then you got to live it out. And it'd be really hard and Sunday's excitement can turn into Monday's excuses and this is exactly what happens in this story they've all. Got the invitation the banquet feast of eternity is ready but verse eighteen but they all with one Accord began to make excuses there. It is every single person that gets invited in not one person in receiving the invitation of the perfect love of God to. Bring you into eternity with him they all begin to make excuses there's something and every person that's gonna be given to us as. Examples of what not to do there's something that they actually are more excited about than what God wants to give them have you. Ever felt that way if you haven't be careful because the Bible says we all fall short of God's goodness is perfection in his. Glory there's something in every one of our lives that.
Sin and Salvation
Can keep us from what God wants to do and here's the excuses as they play out in this story verse 18 but they. All with one Accord began to make excuses the first said to him I've bought a piece of ground and I must go see. It I ask you to have me excused I can't come the timings not quite right here I've just bought some land and it's. Time for me to go look at it here's an excuse of why I can't make the banquet a good thing to make you. Miss a great thing number 2 verse 19 it says I can't come either I just bought five yoke of oxen and I'm going. To test them I ask you please have me excused and then verse 20 maybe the most valid excuse that some of us have. Felt verse 20 says I've just married a wife right therefore cannot come my life has just gotten a little bit weird because everything. That I used to do in my singleness is now attached to relationship for the rest of my life and I'm just barely figuring. That out this guy can have this excuse for a long time I just married a wife I'm figuring out how all this is. Supposed to work unfortunately I can't come now here's the thing about excuses against the will of God an invitation of God to do. Something with your life ultimately to take your life give you life abundant for all of eternity that's an invitation that is for every. Single one of you this morning you are all being invited to the banquet feast of God for eternity where you will be with. Him and it won't be boring don't ever believe that lie that heavens gonna be this boring clouds and harps Jesus and the way. That he taught about the resurrection of the just in this passage or about what God was doing to bring his kingdom he did. It through parties he did it through feasts he did it through what they could understand as the best day of the year it's. A feast of God when all the things that bring us down and weigh us down they're all dealt with once and for all. We're with God you're all invited and yet we get so distracted by stuff that we think is really good that we don't want. To accept what God has for us here's something to remember about.
Sin and Salvation
Anything that will come between you and God there's some really good things you're gonna think of really good things these are on the. Surface we just read them very quickly one two three they seem like good things you got a landowner and you got somebody who. Just bought oxen he wants to build a business potentially and you got a guy who just got married those are three things that. Should be celebrated and yet good things in place of great things are bad things here's another look at some of these excuses it. Says with one Accord they begin to make excuses the first one bought land and now he needs to go examine it's backwards just. So you know if you're just getting into real estate if you've never bought land and it's something that you're in a position to. Do you're weighing your options look at the land first before you buy it's very common discipline of good real estate but examine it. Look at it have it inspected these are all things that are common practice because they're why is this excuse is completely backwards it's. A good thing in place of a great thing and now it's a bad thing here's the same with the five yoke of oxen. I'm gonna go test them but you already bought them hey here's the version of that in our day any of you in the. Market for a car do your best to test-drive it you never know what's gonna rattle once you start getting it on the freeway. Test drive it look around Carfax it's not good to buy something sight unseen and it's a really bad excuse when God wants something. To do with your life and say hey I've got all this unwise stuff that I need to deal with third one and this. Is important for us to remember as we try to respond and live a life that God has for us guys don't use your. Wife as an excuse not to do good things you get invited to a banquet bring her with you don't look at her. And say well I wish I could go but in the old ball-and-chain here it's got a slowdown so take your wife with you. Lead your wife into the banquet into the good stuff that God has don't look at your wife and say man I wish I. Could go to this thing but.
Faith and Obedience
I know we just got married and there's all this stuff I'm supposed to be doing with you now that's a bad thing to. Do what we need to learn how to do is to make the priority of our life the thing by which we filter all. Of our decisions what God has for us does God have these things for your life of course he does and in God's time. And you'll give them to you when you live that way in your life all of a sudden the bank would have eternity becomes. Your focus it becomes something that you use to filter the things that you should be doing your life with or doing with your. Life now here's the radical part and here's what convinces me that Jesus is the person to follow with your life the answer to. This the Heart of Jesus on display he's not ever impressed with the crowd he's not ever someone who's disappointed with rejection what Jesus. Always does is he goes to the people who realize which we all should come to this area Norrland Jesus will always go to. The people who realize they need his help that's what he does Jesus most rejected man who ever walked the face of the earth. And yet he continued to love people who received him Jesus was also probably the first kind of gather of crap people crowds would. Gather to him he's like compared to a modern-day rock star of anywhere in the Gospels that Jesus is teaching you likely saw great. Crowds so he wasn't afraid of rejection he always went to the people in need and he was never impressed with the crowd he. Always tried to thin it out because Jesus does not care about changing your mood and getting you excited Jesus cares about changing your. Life and making you a disciple that's what he cares about so for all of us who are too busy to actually follow Jesus. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday with our lives Jesus says go to the people in need find the people in need and you'll find a. Place where the gospel is so readily received that's why I'm so grateful for what we get to do as a church to bring. The gospel through our love and care to the Wylie apartment complex who went through the tragedy of a murder if you haven't heard. That story please read about it because this is our chance.
Grace and Justification
To go to the people in need and this is what it says 21 the servant comes back and reported these things to his. Master and then the master of the house being angry said to a 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 you want to know who receives Jesus and. You want to know who Jesus is always pointing people to it's those in need the reason that you love Jesus has became because. By God's grace you came to a place in your life or you were in need and you met God the God of love. Who meets people with their needs and he brings them in don't ever lose it if you're a follower of Christ and you want. To follow him intimately you want to live out all of these ways that the parables will turn your life upside down remember how. You receive the invitation you receive the invitation in those seasons of life and it should become a walk of your life where you're. Humbled by the invitation by a place where you're in desperate need a desperate need kind of life will receive Jesus and then and. Then when you receive him you will understand that you have been brought into a kingdom that is taking you to the banquet of. Eternity now there's two of us here this morning there's those of us who are busy and there's those of us who are servants. If you're a follower of Christ that the warning here don't be too busy to receive what he has for you and if you're. In a place where you really want to follow him you're a servant you're a servant to go and to spread this message to. Share it with those in need to tell them that there's hope to tell them that there's a God who cares to tell them. That there's a God who is in love with them willing them to die for them and willing to bring them into this banquet. Based off nothing that they've done but only because they are willing to receive the free gift of the invitation so who are we. As a church now for this portion of the story I'm actually going to invite Pablo who some of you may know he used. To be our college pastor he now works for FCA I had.
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.