Thursday, January 23, 2014

God's Banquet Invitation


Luke 14:15-24  Now 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!” Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But 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.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So 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.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then 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. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”

As Pastor JJ wraps up his five year tenure of shepherding the flock and prepares to move on to the next act in this Play of life that God knows the end from the beginning, he begins a ten week Sermon series and associated mid-week study on “underdogs” performing extraordinary accomplishment to overcome great odds in their personal acts, time and place, which Pastor Phil will take the handoff and run with, to spiritually bless and feed the flock in this Play called life. Everyone that God used to change the world were underdogs, called to live the lives that God designed us to do. As Jesus parable above explains, distractions and idols create excuses that come to keep you and I from where God is working today. But we can overcome the great challenges and associated excuses to succeed, by pushing past fleshly and worldly expectations. Others may give up, but the Master of the banquet in the kingdom of God never gives up because “still there is room”. This story relates to us because we are common people whose life is “our story” that we are living in the great Play of life. Jesus told stories with ordinary people and common situations on earth to illustrate a truth about heaven with a kingdom message of God moving in our lives, and we can tell our own story to share to others how God has moved in our personal life.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Knowing the gospel truth of heaven and hell, it is shockingly surprised and overwhelmed about the casual excuses that people have to avoid Jesus as Savior and Lord or go to church, coming to the banquet of salvation. What keeps them from coming to Jesus and the kingdom of God? God’s anger is righteous indignation against the rejection of salvation, because it is motivated by love and the desire that nobody to perish in hell, as fellowship in restored relationship is refused. Why is everything else more important? Are possessions, work, entertainment, money, etc. our god? Why are false gods worshiped? Why is the free gift of forgiveness, salvation, and citizenship in heaven declined? John 1:9-12 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

The Master said, “Go quickly”. When there are “lame excuses” within the church, there  is remains a compassion for the crippled, the poor, the blind and the lame (those who need a touch from Jesus) … to urgently reach those destined for hell. God is inviting people now, today, this moment, to have a relationship with Him and has called His people to physically, prayerfully and urgently be a part this calling too. He does not want to see our friends, neighbors, co-workers, friends to perish in sin. Whatever it takes, get them to salvation’s banquet. It’s that urgent and important! Jesus turns lives around. In life, we don’t always get what we deserve.

The crippled are those who have been injured and broken by the weight of this world. The poor are those who have been cheated by the world, impeding their path forward, keeping them from knowing God. The blind are those who have never had the chance to see the truth of Christianity and the kingdom of God because they don’t hear the Word of God or the Word explained. The lame symbolizes those who need a touch from Jesus to bring strength (physically, spiritually and emotionally) in their life. All of them are pre-Christians because they are open to the truth but “kingdom truth” and eternal consequences are unknown. People have value. The banquet is set, so go get them and bring them to the Master’s table. The Lord wants his banquet full and still there is room. The truth is that “it matters”. We need full churches, not excuses. There are plenty of excuses out there today and we do not need to add to them. It’s not too late. Don’t take yourself out of the game, the story, or this act in the grand Play of life.

Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Invite everyone to join the family at the banquet feast in the kingdom of God, here and now. They are not too far gone. They need to hear the truth of God. The God-rejecting world system puts labels upon people, but we are not defined by this world. We are defined by the God who created the universe, the earth and everything that lives and breathes upon it. God loves you, me and them, and has a wonderful plan and purpose for our lives. “In God We Trust” is the American National Motto for this reason. We are really all “underdogs in life, and their story is our story. Speak the truth in love and tell them the gospel truth of Jesus Christ. Salvation is by Christ alone by faith alone. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach this generation, and the next, for the advancement of the kingdom of God by invading and decreasing the population of hell?
Here in the power of Christ I stand, bought by the precious blood of Jesus. Come.



In Christ, Brian

2 comments:

child of God said...

Hi Brian,
I have enjoyed Pastor J.J.'s sermons through your blog. Sorry to see him go but excited to see who Father has in store for your church. I hope you will share his sermons too.

Heaven and hell are real. It is sad that so many people think it is a fairy tale. One day they will see and all will be made clear.

Blessings brother,
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Brian Ray Todd said...

Thank you Child of God, and I'm so happy that you were blessed by Pastor JJ's. His drive was always to seek truth by "the Truth" of the gospel. For the so many that do not know this truth, may the truth be revealed and their eyes opened to see the Lord God, their Father in Heaven. Natural sensual mankind sees only the natural and physical, but is blind to the spiritual and supernatural. They do not see, hear or touch Sovereign God (as they desire) so assume their Creators non-existence, even though the evidences abound in Almighty God's creation and the reality of society chaos created by a culture that rejects their Maker and His righteous commandments, statutes, and Laws. Pastor JJ, the church, the brothers and sisters in Christ are commissioned to reach out and tell them all the "Good News". The fairy tale is everything else, but God the father, Son and Holy Ghost. There is the abundant life! I'm happy that you wrote me today. Blessings sister.