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Luke 14 15-24, 25-26 Everything Is Ready

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Luke 14 15-24, 25-26 Everything Is Ready “Everything is Ready” //Luke 14:15– I saw some incredible statistics in the WSJ not long ago about the social importance of family mealtimes for children. 26// Come to the Table # 1 • One Harvard Medical study showed that kids who ate regularly with their parents were considerably healthier and 72% less likely How awesome is that! That never gets old… at our Sat services we to experience depression, struggle with self-esteem, have suicidal saw 28 people baptized and by God’s grace we’re going to see a lot thoughts, develop eating disorders or use illegal drugs than those more this morning, because that is what today is about… who did not.1 Luke 14 if you have your Bibles. We’re going to spend a couple of Meals are important. So, it’s good news when Jesus tells us to “come weeks in Luke 14 in a series called “Come to the Table.” Jesus tells a to the table.” It’s an invitation to you! number of parables around this theme in Luke 14 and we’re going to • It’s an invitation for those of you who don’t know Christ, or for explore them. whatever reason don’t feel like you fit in. • It’s an invitation for people who feel far from God because of their Come to the table… Don’t you just love invitations to eat? I think past or because of sins and mistakes they’ve made—not just to “Let’s eat” might be my two favorite words in the English language… get forgiven of sins, but to have your souls renewed, and to meet The only time those 2 words did not bring joy to my heart was when I Jesus in a real and tangible way. was still trying to get adjusted to food in SE Asia after I had gone to • It’s an invitation for those of you who know Jesus but have left serve as a missionary there, and mealtimes felt more like a foray into him for some reason to come back come. the unknown than they a time to enjoy food. • I have the privilege to say to you today, on his behalf, “Come back • (I had been taught going over there that it was impolite ever to to the table!” Not just come back to church but come back into turn down food—like it was some big insult—and so I determined fellowship with Jesus Christ and community with believers. I was going to eat everything they put in front of me for Jesus and o I talked to a girl in a store the other day who told me, “Yeah, I just trust God with the results. used to be in church but I’ve really wandered from God; I think st • Well, the result was that in the 1 week I was there, I lost 14lbs in I need to go back…” I said, “Ah, well, you are in luck! At our 3 days. You say, “Well, that sounds like a great weight loss church next week is amnesty weekend, where you can come program…” Yes, but it’s not the most enjoyable. I call it the ‘rapid back to church no questions asked.” She said, “Really?” I said, expulsion method.’ “Yes.” (Now, truth be told every week is amnesty week, of course… but it sounded better to make it seem like this was a But eventually I got adjusted and learned to love to hear the words special week.) “let’s eat” over there, too. Coming to the table is not usually only about meeting hunger needs, either; it’s also about connection, Come to the Table… Today we are going to look at how Jesus extends relationship. that invitation to us, and what keeps a lot of people from it. • Eating with someone is one of the most intimate connections you can make with them. • A meal together is fellowship; it’s engagement; it’s acceptance. 1 “Much Depends on Dinner,” by Cameron Stracher, Opinion Journal, Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2005. And here’s what we’re going to offer to you at the end of this Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with message: you. [11] For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he • First, and most important, I’m going to offer you a chance to who humbles himself will be exalted.” receive Jesus’ offer to be your Savior if you never have done so— • Now, at first, this just seems like good, practical advice…. Right? A to come to the table and begin or maybe renew a personal little random, but good nonetheless: It’s not usually a good idea relationship with him. to thrust yourself into the most important seats, because you are • Second, I’m going to give you a chance to be baptized, today, on might be setting yourself up for embarrassment. the spot, if you never have. o It happened to me this very week: I took a flight on JetBlue— o Baptism is the first thing you are supposed to do after and normally I fly Delta and I’m Platinum so I get to board the deciding for yourself to follow Jesus—we call it the going plane early—so, when they announced priority seating I just public of your commitment to Jesus—and some of you have waltzed on up to the front, because I assumed the airlines had never done that. an agreement where once you are important on one airline o Maybe you became a Christian years ago, and you have just you got to be important on every airline—and so I get up never taken the step; or maybe you became a Christian there and the woman looks at my ticket and says, really recently. loudly…) “You are NOT priority seating, sir; your line is over o Baptized as a baby… there.” And she points over to all the mongrel-looking people; o Either way, baptism is the step you need to take and today is hunched-over, mouth-breathers, carrying their clothes in the day many of you are going to take a bold, defining step in garbage bags and such… and so in front of everyone I go back your faith. and stand with them. That’s embarrassing, right? You thought o We’ve got all you’ll need—changes of clothes, etc. you belonged up here with the JetBlue priority customers. o Or, imagine you get invited to the boss’s daughter’s wedding Now, Jesus starts his invitation to the banquet with what appears to reception. But you get there late and are looking for a seat. be random social advice—though it’s not random at all, as I’ll show There are several seats available at various tables, but you you that at the end. But let’s start there, because he does… notice some chairs open at table 1, up on the little platform overlooking the party. So, you go seat yourself there. It’s The context of Luke 14 is that Jesus is at a party himself: Luke going to be embarrassing when someone comes along and 14:7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he says, “Sir, this seat is reserved for the boss’s friends. You don’t noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, [8] belong here. There’s a seat way back there for you…” and he “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit points, not even to a table, but to that row of chairs sitting down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you around the edge of the room. And so, you begin the walk of be invited by him, [9] and he who invited you both will come and say shame… So, you want to avoid that. to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with • Just good social advice, right…? But it seems random. shame to take the lowest place. • But it’s not. Let’s keep going… [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.’ [15] When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these o Guests from out of town weren’t sure exactly when they things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the would arrive; it was hard to get the food arranged… kingdom of God!” • So, they sent out a first “save the date” kind of invitation—“that gave people a week window for when the party would be; and [16] But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and then a 2nd invitation that announced, “Everything is ready. So, invited many. come on!” • BTW, isn’t it great that Jesus presents the kingdom of God like a party? So, in this parable you’ve got a bunch of people who responded ‘yes’ • What’s your image of Heaven? Eternal choir practice? Sitting in a to the 1st invitation; but now, when they get the 2nd one, [18] But they colorless, cloudy heaven strumming the harp and being bored? all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a • I always thought it was awesome that John records Jesus’s first field, and I must go out and see it.
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