WEBVTT 00:00:03.049 --> 00:00:07.490 Dear God, we thank you so much that you water 00:00:07.490 --> 00:00:11.349 us even through difficult times. You can grow 00:00:11.349 --> 00:00:14.230 flowers in our life and help us to be more and 00:00:14.230 --> 00:00:17.350 more like you. God, just be with us as we open 00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:20.449 up your word this morning. May we see through 00:00:20.449 --> 00:00:22.750 difficult times and challenging times that you 00:00:22.750 --> 00:00:24.670 are the God who leads us each and every day. 00:00:24.969 --> 00:00:29.600 In your name we pray. Amen. Sometimes you may 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:32.759 think you have everything needed, you may be 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:36.759 in the perfect spot, and then something better 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:40.600 comes along, and you realize that things can 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.280 even be better than you anticipated, than you 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.399 can imagine. It was a couple weeks ago during 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:49.479 a 4th of July weekend that my wife and I were 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.619 able to go down to Pensacola to visit my son 00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:55.000 and daughter -in -law, and a few days before 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:56.799 we got there, our daughter -in -law Isabella 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.460 told us, that she had gotten some tickets to 00:01:01.460 --> 00:01:05.840 the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Anybody have ever 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.359 heard of them before? They're a minor league 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:10.819 baseball team. They actually sometimes play against 00:01:10.819 --> 00:01:13.239 the Chattanooga Lookouts. She said she'd gotten 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:15.980 some tickets from work. Would we like to go? 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.359 So sure, why not? So we got to Florida. It was 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.459 nice and warm, just like here. We made our way 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:26.180 to the stadium. It's on the bay there in Pensacola, 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:30.700 just outside of the... the outfield walls. Now, 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:35.180 when I've gone to baseball games before, the 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:39.000 seats that I sit in are usually a little further 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:43.180 away from the field, a little higher up. Some 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:46.379 might call them the cheap seats. So when we had 00:01:46.379 --> 00:01:49.540 our tickets, I was looking that direction from 00:01:49.540 --> 00:01:52.599 the concourse. But when we turned towards the 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:57.200 seats, we were going down. closer to the field. 00:01:57.299 --> 00:01:59.780 And we went down the steps and down the steps, 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:04.120 not quite to the front row, but to the second 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:08.740 row. And we were right at the very front, right 00:02:08.740 --> 00:02:11.800 there on the third base line. And as we looked 00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:14.060 at the seats, we saw on the back there was a 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:17.539 little plaque, and it was engraved with the name 00:02:17.539 --> 00:02:20.219 of the company that my daughter -in -law works 00:02:20.219 --> 00:02:23.319 for. And we saw out in the outfield a sign, one 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.960 of the advertising signs, and it was the company 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:29.699 that she works for as a nurse. And so this company 00:02:29.699 --> 00:02:32.819 had season tickets that they would give out to 00:02:32.819 --> 00:02:35.900 their employees at different times. And so we 00:02:35.900 --> 00:02:39.340 were invited to something better, and we got 00:02:39.340 --> 00:02:42.620 to sit as close to the field as you possibly 00:02:42.620 --> 00:02:46.699 could, simply because we knew the right person, 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:51.120 and we got an invitation to that event. at the 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:55.300 right time. We were invited to something better. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:00.000 In Luke chapter 14, Jesus finds himself at a 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:04.759 banquet, at a feast, at a dinner. And as he's 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:08.159 at this dinner, he begins to tell a couple different 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:10.539 stories. The first little lesson he teaches, 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:13.319 and he says, when you go to a feast or a wedding 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:16.620 feast, don't take the best seat that's there. 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.490 Don't sit on the front row. Because, you know, 00:03:19.509 --> 00:03:22.069 how embarrassing would it be if you sit in the 00:03:22.069 --> 00:03:24.370 best seat and then the host comes and says, well, 00:03:24.389 --> 00:03:27.129 actually, you need to sit a little further away. 00:03:27.310 --> 00:03:31.490 We've saved those for the VIP. Jesus says, instead, 00:03:31.750 --> 00:03:34.969 sit further back. And then, wow, what a privilege 00:03:34.969 --> 00:03:38.030 if they bring you up closer because they've reserved 00:03:38.030 --> 00:03:41.129 some special seats for you. And then Jesus says, 00:03:41.229 --> 00:03:43.610 if you hold a feast, he says, when you give a 00:03:43.610 --> 00:03:47.669 dinner or a supper, don't just invite your friends 00:03:47.669 --> 00:03:50.259 or your... relatives or your rich neighbors, 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:52.639 because they're probably going to invite you 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.900 back. You know, you have us over, then we'll 00:03:54.900 --> 00:03:57.539 have you over the next time. He says, instead, 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:02.400 invite the poor and the maimed and the lame and 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:05.240 the blind. Invite those that aren't going to 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:08.780 be able to return the favor. Invite a different 00:04:08.780 --> 00:04:12.740 group to your luncheon, to your crowd. And then 00:04:12.740 --> 00:04:16.600 as he says this, One of the Pharisees, one of 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.439 the leaders that are there, responds in Luke 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:36.199 chapter 14 and verse 15. It says, That's a true 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:38.879 statement, isn't it? I can't wait for that day 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:43.899 when we get to feast in heaven with God. is he 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:46.980 who shall eat bread in the kingdom of heaven. 00:04:47.060 --> 00:04:52.139 That is a beautiful sentiment. But pay attention, 00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:56.000 who said that? One of these who sat at the table 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.620 with him. Well, who was that? If we go back to 00:04:58.620 --> 00:05:03.019 the first verse of Luke chapter 14, it tells 00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:06.279 us, it says, now it happened as Jesus went into 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:08.980 the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees 00:05:08.980 --> 00:05:12.399 to eat bread on the Sabbath. Notice what it says, 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:17.199 they watched him closely. As we've read through 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:20.220 the Gospels, you remember the stories of how 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:23.439 there was a group of people who wanted to trap 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:27.060 Jesus, who wanted to trick Jesus, who wanted 00:05:27.060 --> 00:05:30.220 to find something that he had done wrong. And 00:05:30.220 --> 00:05:33.319 so here we have one of these people who are watching 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.980 him closely. who are trying to find some way 00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:39.959 that they can accuse him. It's one of these people 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:44.600 who is anticipating, I can't wait to get to heaven 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:48.339 and enjoy that heavenly feast. It's one of those 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:52.339 who have rejected Jesus, or at least is in the 00:05:52.339 --> 00:05:56.319 process of rejecting Jesus, and yet is assuming, 00:05:56.459 --> 00:06:00.079 is thinking that he's bound for the kingdom. 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:03.860 And it's in this context that Jesus begins to 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:06.899 tell, a story. And we've been looking at various 00:06:06.899 --> 00:06:09.839 parables over the past several weeks, and we'll 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:13.019 look at this one as well. Verse 16, then Jesus 00:06:13.019 --> 00:06:17.740 said to him, a certain man gave a great supper 00:06:17.740 --> 00:06:22.779 and invited many. So Jesus begins to tell this 00:06:22.779 --> 00:06:27.579 parable about a man who invited many people to 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:31.379 a supper, to a feast. And as we read through 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:35.079 this story today, we'll see that in the context, 00:06:35.139 --> 00:06:39.019 Jesus is speaking to those Pharisees, to those 00:06:39.019 --> 00:06:43.399 who were rejecting Jesus, who were rejecting 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:48.319 those that Jesus came to live and to die for, 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:52.100 those that were maybe a lower social class or 00:06:52.100 --> 00:06:54.959 whatever it would be. And Jesus is telling this 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:59.290 story to those who were rejecting him. And he's 00:06:59.290 --> 00:07:02.589 telling them in the story, we'll see, to go to 00:07:02.589 --> 00:07:05.629 others, to go to sinners, to go to Gentiles. 00:07:05.970 --> 00:07:09.370 And that's the immediate point of this story. 00:07:09.509 --> 00:07:12.970 But I think as we look closer at it today, like 00:07:12.970 --> 00:07:16.370 with other parables, that we will see not just 00:07:16.370 --> 00:07:20.730 truths for those Pharisees in Jesus' day, but 00:07:20.730 --> 00:07:24.430 I think that we can see some truths for us. And 00:07:24.430 --> 00:07:28.209 I think perhaps we can see a two -fold. invitation. 00:07:28.329 --> 00:07:32.810 We can see an invitation for us to accept and 00:07:32.810 --> 00:07:36.009 respond to an invitation. I think we can also 00:07:36.009 --> 00:07:39.430 see an invitation that we're supposed to extend. 00:07:39.550 --> 00:07:42.730 We're supposed to give an invitation to others. 00:07:42.850 --> 00:07:46.410 So let's continue on and look at this story here. 00:07:46.509 --> 00:07:51.029 So this man gave a great supper and invited many. 00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:53.779 Many, many people were supposed to come to this. 00:07:53.899 --> 00:07:57.360 And it says in verse 17, he sent his servant 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:01.339 at suppertime to say to those who were invited, 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:06.259 come, for all things are now ready. Think about 00:08:06.259 --> 00:08:10.319 how much time and energy and effort it takes 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:15.779 even today to have people for food or for a meal. 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:18.980 You know, there's people during this time even 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:21.220 that are preparing food up in the fellowship 00:08:21.220 --> 00:08:24.060 hall for our delicious Asian lunch that we're 00:08:24.060 --> 00:08:25.959 going to have in just a little bit. But that 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:29.360 takes time and energy and effort. And people 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:32.399 yesterday or last night prepared some different 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:35.259 dishes and prepared some food. But think about 00:08:35.259 --> 00:08:40.379 this day. There were no microwave ovens. There 00:08:40.379 --> 00:08:44.500 were no... regular ovens. You had a stone oven, 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:49.259 a brick oven, and it's heated by fire, and you're 00:08:49.259 --> 00:08:52.320 making bread from scratch. And when I say scratch, 00:08:52.460 --> 00:08:55.100 you're actually pounding the wheat or the barley 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:59.860 for the bread. There's no Stouffer's lasagna 00:08:59.860 --> 00:09:02.600 that you put in the oven for 45 minutes, and 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:06.200 it's ready. This is a process to make the bread, 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:09.720 to get the animal from the herd, to slaughter 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:13.440 it, to butcher it, to prepare all these different 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:17.500 things. This is a long process that takes a lot 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:21.120 of time. And it appears that there was, you know, 00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:25.320 an RSVP invitations were sent out on this particular 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:28.399 day. We're going to have a feast. But now as 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:32.139 they're getting closer to supper time, well, 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:35.149 what? What time do we eat? Well, they didn't 00:09:35.149 --> 00:09:39.750 have watches, no clocks, no phones that would 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:44.490 have an alarm, no real way of telling time except 00:09:44.490 --> 00:09:48.129 by the sun. And so the servant would go around, 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:50.389 make a circuit to those who had been invited 00:09:50.389 --> 00:09:53.429 and say, okay, it's time. The bread is cooking, 00:09:53.610 --> 00:09:56.809 the lamb is roasting, you know, make your way 00:09:56.809 --> 00:10:00.830 and this feast, the supper will be ready. The 00:10:00.830 --> 00:10:04.769 time has come. for supper to be served. I read 00:10:04.769 --> 00:10:09.330 a story recently about Kalina and Shane. They 00:10:09.330 --> 00:10:12.309 had a beautiful wedding reception planned at 00:10:12.309 --> 00:10:16.049 a barn venue in Oregon. They had sent out their 00:10:16.049 --> 00:10:19.470 invitations, and at least 40 people had RSVP'd, 00:10:19.509 --> 00:10:22.049 40 people and couples, and they were expecting 00:10:22.049 --> 00:10:26.190 to have a beautiful wedding reception. But when 00:10:26.190 --> 00:10:30.980 it came time to the day of the event, There was 00:10:30.980 --> 00:10:34.860 only five people that came. They had planned 00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:38.340 the cake cutting and the things you do at a wedding 00:10:38.340 --> 00:10:41.000 reception, all the festivities, and they were 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.899 excited for that. And even though people had 00:10:43.899 --> 00:10:48.539 said, yes, we will be there, only five showed 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:52.279 up. You can imagine a day of excitement and then 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:55.259 yet a disappointment because there was no one 00:10:55.259 --> 00:11:00.480 to share it with. How do we respond to the invitations 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:04.080 that we receive? In this story, how did people 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:06.840 respond to the invitations? We'll pick up the 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:10.100 story in verse 18. The servant goes out and says, 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:14.220 Come, all things are now ready. But verse 18 00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:20.059 says, But they all, with one accord, begun to 00:11:20.059 --> 00:11:24.159 make excuses. Have you ever had to make an excuse 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:29.940 in your life? The dog ate my homework. I got 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:33.720 a flat tire on the way to work. You know, sometimes 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:36.500 things happen and we miss something or we forget 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:39.740 something or we're late. But sometimes we just 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:43.399 procrastinate. Sometimes we just don't get the 00:11:43.399 --> 00:11:46.019 thing done that we were supposed to get done. 00:11:46.299 --> 00:11:50.080 And you can hear, maybe I'm sure it wasn't you, 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.639 but your classmates coming up with different 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:56.299 excuses. about why that project, why that paper 00:11:56.299 --> 00:11:59.519 didn't get written. And it says, with one accord, 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:04.720 these all begun to make excuses. The first said 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:07.440 to him, said to the servant, well, I have bought 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.539 a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:13.220 So wait a second. You're telling me that this 00:12:13.220 --> 00:12:17.440 guy bought some property, sight unseen. He just 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.320 bought property. Well, I bought this land. I 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:23.519 got to go find it. I got to go see it. I got 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:27.159 to figure out what this is. I remember as a child, 00:12:27.220 --> 00:12:30.679 we used to go on vacation sometimes to like Myrtle 00:12:30.679 --> 00:12:33.639 Beach from Knoxville, Tennessee. And inevitably 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:37.019 on the way home, my dad would say, okay, we're 00:12:37.019 --> 00:12:40.360 going to stop by the property. We got to see 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:42.539 the property. Now, it wasn't our property. It 00:12:42.539 --> 00:12:45.299 was some property that my grandfather owned in 00:12:45.299 --> 00:12:48.100 Spartanburg. And I remember driving in circles 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:51.259 around Spartanburg trying to find this property 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:54.320 because it's... It's property. It all looks the 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.299 same, you know, and I'm not sure if we ever did 00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:59.240 see the actual property or not. But this guy 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:01.940 says, well, I've bought some property. We need 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:07.139 to go and see it. I ask to have me excused. Please 00:13:07.139 --> 00:13:09.519 excuse me. And then there's another excuse in 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:14.399 verse 19. Another said, I have bought five yoke 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:19.340 of oxen, and I'm going to test them. I ask you 00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:23.200 to have me excused. So again, this guy bought 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:29.139 ten ox, ten cows. He hadn't seen them. He hadn't 00:13:29.139 --> 00:13:32.159 used them. These are things that they would have 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:35.100 already had knowledge of. They would have already 00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:37.539 known that there was property to be purchased, 00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:40.700 that there was oxen that needed to get out and 00:13:40.700 --> 00:13:44.500 experience the plow for the first time. This 00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:47.519 wasn't something that just came up. Oh no, an 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:51.059 emergency. These were things that had been planned 00:13:51.059 --> 00:13:54.360 ahead, and yet they didn't make any adjustment 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:58.399 for this invitation that they had received. And 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.379 then verse 20, the third one that is listed, 00:14:00.460 --> 00:14:04.820 still another said, I have married a wife, and 00:14:04.820 --> 00:14:08.899 therefore I cannot come. Again, was this an unexpected 00:14:08.899 --> 00:14:14.450 event? Bring your wife along to the feast. Now, 00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:17.090 in the Old Testament, there is a provision that 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:19.830 getting married could excuse you from certain 00:14:19.830 --> 00:14:22.809 things, but it was just one certain thing. Anybody 00:14:22.809 --> 00:14:26.350 know what it was? It was going to war. If you 00:14:26.350 --> 00:14:28.750 had just been married in the last year, I think 00:14:28.750 --> 00:14:31.289 it was, then you could be excused from having 00:14:31.289 --> 00:14:34.070 to go off and fight so your new spouse would 00:14:34.070 --> 00:14:37.850 not be a widow. But this is not a war. This is 00:14:37.850 --> 00:14:42.090 lunch or supper. And no, I'm sorry, I just got 00:14:42.090 --> 00:14:44.980 married. And he doesn't even ask to be excused. 00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:47.860 He just flat out says, nope, I'm not coming. 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:51.000 I'm not coming to your event. I'm not coming 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:55.480 to your party. Two say, excuse me. One just says 00:14:55.480 --> 00:15:00.379 no. But in the end, they all reject the invitation 00:15:00.379 --> 00:15:04.200 that they had received. Just as it appears, these 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:07.970 Pharisees have been rejecting the life. and the 00:15:07.970 --> 00:15:11.669 ministry of Jesus because they are watching him. 00:15:11.809 --> 00:15:15.549 They are seeing how they can accuse him of something 00:15:15.549 --> 00:15:18.330 even though they claim to think that they are 00:15:18.330 --> 00:15:22.649 on the way to this supper in heaven. And we can 00:15:22.649 --> 00:15:27.990 ask ourselves, what about us? What about the 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:32.370 spiritual invitation that we receive in our life 00:15:32.370 --> 00:15:36.320 as we go through our day? as we spend time in 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:41.399 God's Word. Over and over, God speaks to us in 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:44.879 our life, in our heart, in the things that happen 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:48.220 to us as we go through our week. How do we respond? 00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:54.759 Do we reject it? Do we say, oh, oh, I'm distracted 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.840 because I just got this new property, this new 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:03.639 car. or this new relationship that I'm in. There's 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:06.799 things that can distract, things that can pull 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:10.519 us in another direction. Oh, I'm too busy to 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:13.659 heed that invitation that God gives us. Here's 00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:15.419 some of the invitations we find in Scripture. 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.480 Isaiah 55, verse 6. That whole chapter is incredible. 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:24.259 Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon 00:16:24.259 --> 00:16:28.210 Him while He is near. What about Matthew 11, 00:16:28.309 --> 00:16:32.570 28? Jesus says, come to me, all you who labor 00:16:32.570 --> 00:16:35.629 and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. 00:16:35.850 --> 00:16:40.009 An invitation from Jesus to cast our sins, to 00:16:40.009 --> 00:16:43.450 cast our cares upon him. And then Revelation 00:16:43.450 --> 00:16:46.590 chapter 3 and verse 20, it says, behold, I stand 00:16:46.590 --> 00:16:52.309 at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice 00:16:52.309 --> 00:16:58.639 and opens the door. There's the invitation. I'm 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:00.960 knocking. If you open the door, I'm going to 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:03.000 come in. I'm going to sit down. I'm going to 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.680 eat with you, and you can eat with me. There's 00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:11.000 an incredible invitation that Jesus gives us 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:15.200 each and every day. How do we respond to those 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:19.019 invitations? In fact, in Revelation chapter 19, 00:17:19.299 --> 00:17:23.279 this glory of heaven is actually written as an 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:26.099 invitation. Revelation 19, 9, it says, Then he 00:17:26.099 --> 00:17:28.799 said to me, Blessed are those who are called 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:33.339 to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We have been 00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:37.680 invited to something else, and yet so often we 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:42.000 reject. Maybe we don't come straight out and 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.819 reject it. Maybe we just say, Oh, please, please 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:50.759 excuse me. I'm busy today. I'm busy this week. 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:54.680 I'm consumed with other things. Or sometimes 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:58.180 we may just come straight out and say, no, I 00:17:58.180 --> 00:18:00.599 don't want to have anything to do with this. 00:18:01.299 --> 00:18:06.019 Back in Luke chapter 14, the servant made his 00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:09.359 rounds, called the people to the dinner, and 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:12.380 then he got all of these excuses. And it says, 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:15.319 so the servant came, he came back from his circuit, 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:18.119 came and reported these things to his master. 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.099 And the master of the house being, what's the 00:18:22.099 --> 00:18:27.349 word there? Angry, said to his servant. The master 00:18:27.349 --> 00:18:31.890 is angry because the people rejected this invitation 00:18:31.890 --> 00:18:36.630 that he gave to come and eat, to come and feast. 00:18:36.849 --> 00:18:39.970 An incredible invitation. And it was rejected. 00:18:40.109 --> 00:18:44.190 And the master is angry. Now, I think that's 00:18:44.190 --> 00:18:49.670 the human response. Because I think we see a 00:18:49.670 --> 00:18:52.569 little bit different expression of a response. 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:56.000 From Jesus. Because we remember the story of 00:18:56.000 --> 00:19:00.359 Jesus coming into Jerusalem. As he's coming in 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:04.480 that last week before the cross. And it said 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:09.240 that Jesus cried. He wept over Jerusalem. And 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:11.900 he said, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How long I 00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:15.660 wanted to gather you. I wanted to gather you 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:21.779 to me. But you would not. So God. does not necessarily 00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:26.960 get angry, but his heart is broken. And it says 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:31.259 that he desires that none should perish, but 00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:34.779 that all should come to repentance. And that's 00:19:34.779 --> 00:19:37.900 why God is patient and long -suffering with us. 00:19:38.140 --> 00:19:40.720 And so in this story, the master gets upset, 00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:43.759 and he sends this servant back on another mission. 00:19:43.980 --> 00:19:47.460 He said to his servant, go out quickly into the 00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:50.130 streets and the lanes of the city. and bring 00:19:50.130 --> 00:19:52.950 in here the poor and the maimed and the lame 00:19:52.950 --> 00:19:56.029 and the blind. It's the same group that Jesus 00:19:56.029 --> 00:20:00.069 mentioned in verse 13. He said, go out. Close 00:20:00.069 --> 00:20:02.450 by, it seems to be indicating. Go out quickly. 00:20:02.869 --> 00:20:06.089 Bring this group in. Bring this group in that 00:20:06.089 --> 00:20:08.910 most people would reject, that most people wouldn't 00:20:08.910 --> 00:20:10.990 want to have anything to do with. Bring them 00:20:10.990 --> 00:20:15.430 in to this supper, to this feast, because it's 00:20:15.430 --> 00:20:18.809 been prepared, and we need people to be here. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:22.339 And so I think we begin to see here that we're 00:20:22.339 --> 00:20:27.759 not simply called to accept the invitation that 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:32.279 Jesus gives us, but I think Jesus is inviting 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:37.460 us to invite someone else to meet him, to know 00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:41.400 him, to be part of this feast, to be part of 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:44.259 this celebration. Go quickly into the streets 00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:48.140 and invite those that otherwise you may not even 00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:50.369 think about it. And it doesn't tell us how long 00:20:50.369 --> 00:20:53.509 this took, but the servant goes out to the streets 00:20:53.509 --> 00:20:57.170 and lanes of the city, and then he comes back. 00:20:57.470 --> 00:21:01.990 Verse 22, the servant said, Master, it is done, 00:21:02.130 --> 00:21:07.569 just as you commanded. And still there is room. 00:21:08.009 --> 00:21:11.490 I love that thought right there. There's still 00:21:11.490 --> 00:21:17.789 room. Until Jesus comes, there is still room. 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:21.680 For each one of us. As we hear the invitation 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:25.680 of Jesus. As we accept that invitation of Jesus. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:28.519 It doesn't matter what I've done in the past. 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:32.240 It doesn't matter what I've done today. But am 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:36.420 I accepting that invitation of Jesus? There is 00:21:36.420 --> 00:21:43.200 always more room. In God's view, in God's perspective, 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:47.710 there are two kinds of people. Those that Jesus 00:21:47.710 --> 00:21:54.630 loves, well, that's not right. In that era, in 00:21:54.630 --> 00:21:58.410 that area, God loves everybody. God loves each 00:21:58.410 --> 00:22:02.670 one of us. But there are two groups of people. 00:22:02.750 --> 00:22:06.509 Those that have accepted the invitation, Jesus 00:22:06.509 --> 00:22:10.309 loves them. And those that haven't yet accepted 00:22:10.309 --> 00:22:13.829 the invitation, guess what? God loves them as 00:22:13.829 --> 00:22:18.890 well. God loves each of us, but have we accepted 00:22:18.890 --> 00:22:23.109 that invitation or not? There is still room, 00:22:23.369 --> 00:22:26.450 the servant said. Notice what the master says 00:22:26.450 --> 00:22:31.329 to the servant, verse 23, go out, go out, this 00:22:31.329 --> 00:22:33.569 seems to be a little further, go out a little 00:22:33.569 --> 00:22:36.609 bit further distance into the highways and the 00:22:36.609 --> 00:22:39.829 hedges or the highways and the byways and compel 00:22:39.829 --> 00:22:44.660 them to come in that my house may be filled. 00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:47.200 And I think in the context here, this is where 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.160 Jesus is telling these Pharisees to go beyond 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:53.539 the people of Israel, to go to the Gentiles, 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:56.599 go out a little bit further, go out to the highways 00:22:56.599 --> 00:23:00.740 and the hedges. And he says, go to those and 00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:04.940 invite them to come in, compel them to come in. 00:23:05.619 --> 00:23:11.019 Why? So that the house may be full. It's interesting 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:15.190 here. He says, go out. This seems to indicate 00:23:15.190 --> 00:23:19.490 that we can't just sit and wait for people to 00:23:19.490 --> 00:23:25.069 come to us. Do they see our invitation on Facebook? 00:23:25.509 --> 00:23:29.390 Sure, they'll come. Do they drive by and see 00:23:29.390 --> 00:23:32.390 our new sign that we have out here? Sure, hopefully 00:23:32.390 --> 00:23:37.670 they'll come. But this says to go out and invite 00:23:37.670 --> 00:23:41.380 someone else. To go out to... to Ringgold, to 00:23:41.380 --> 00:23:44.240 go out to your place of business, to go out to 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.059 your neighborhood. There was a poll done a couple 00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:49.799 of years ago by a group called Barna, and it 00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:54.000 said that 80 % of the people indicated that if 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:56.460 they were invited to come to church by a friend, 00:23:56.579 --> 00:24:01.359 that they would come. 80 % of people who don't 00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:03.660 go to church that they polled said, if one of 00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:06.559 my friends invites me, I'll go with them. I'll 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:09.829 check it out. And so we can't just wait for people 00:24:09.829 --> 00:24:14.970 to come to us, but are we going out? And what's 00:24:14.970 --> 00:24:18.990 that word? Compel them to come in. Now, this 00:24:18.990 --> 00:24:22.150 doesn't mean, you know, a headlock, Hulk Hogan 00:24:22.150 --> 00:24:27.109 style, and bring them to church. God is not a 00:24:27.109 --> 00:24:31.369 God of force. God is a God of love. God never 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:36.710 forces us to do anything. So how can we compel? 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:40.220 Someone. What does that mean to compel someone? 00:24:40.619 --> 00:24:43.420 Well, there's a couple ways you can look at that. 00:24:43.460 --> 00:24:48.119 We can compel them with urgency. If we believe 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:50.779 Jesus is coming soon, and I believe Jesus is 00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:54.140 coming soon, then our urgency. You've got to 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:56.660 hear this message. You've got to hear this gospel. 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:59.880 You've got to hear about this Savior. And then 00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:04.460 a part of that is our excitement, our enthusiasm 00:25:04.460 --> 00:25:08.349 for the gospel. How have we responded to it? 00:25:08.390 --> 00:25:11.490 Do people see us excited about what Jesus has 00:25:11.490 --> 00:25:15.230 done for us? And do they want to experience that? 00:25:15.950 --> 00:25:18.589 And I think the greatest way is from our scripture 00:25:18.589 --> 00:25:24.170 that we had today. John 12, verse 32. John 12, 00:25:24.269 --> 00:25:28.410 verse 32. This is Jesus speaking in the week 00:25:28.410 --> 00:25:32.349 of the cross, just a few days before the cross. 00:25:33.289 --> 00:25:37.880 Jesus says, and I... if I am lifted up from the 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:44.740 earth, will draw all peoples to myself. That's 00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:48.420 the best way of compelling someone is lifting 00:25:48.420 --> 00:25:52.519 up Jesus, letting someone know about the incredible 00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:58.599 matchless love of Jesus. It reminds me a little 00:25:58.599 --> 00:26:03.259 bit of a little science experiment here. Let's 00:26:03.259 --> 00:26:08.039 see if we can do this. I've got a couple things 00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:14.279 right here. Magnets. You know, I read about how 00:26:14.279 --> 00:26:20.279 magnets work, but I still don't know. But they 00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:24.319 snap together, don't they? Some of you I know 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:26.240 have done different things and maybe seen a video 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:28.680 where they take a big magnet and they tie a string 00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:30.920 on the end and maybe they'll go to a bridge over 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:33.759 a creek or a river and they'll throw that magnet 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:36.720 out there. and they'll begin to pull that rope 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:41.019 back in. Anybody know what that's called? Magnet 00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:44.960 fishing. You're not trying to catch fish, but 00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:48.700 as that magnet's coming back in, something will 00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:52.079 stick to it. Oh, it's heavier now, and they pull 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:54.380 that rope back in. They pull that string back 00:26:54.380 --> 00:26:57.039 in, and maybe it's just an old piece of metal 00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.740 that fell off the bridge. Some of the videos 00:26:59.740 --> 00:27:02.019 I've seen, it's been a bicycle that somehow fell 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:06.809 in the creek. A safe? Or maybe some sort of weapon? 00:27:06.950 --> 00:27:09.690 A gun or a knife? Maybe somebody was trying to 00:27:09.690 --> 00:27:14.569 get rid of it after, I don't know. But how does 00:27:14.569 --> 00:27:20.930 that happen? Because the magnet compels the metal 00:27:20.930 --> 00:27:26.109 to stick to it. And that's the compelling of 00:27:26.109 --> 00:27:28.509 the love of Jesus. As people see that love of 00:27:28.509 --> 00:27:32.069 Jesus, they're compelled to follow after him. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:36.559 And they want, they're drawn to him. Now, you 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:40.940 know that with magnets, there's two sides, right? 00:27:41.619 --> 00:27:46.900 And one side attracts, right? The opposites attract, 00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:51.059 but what does the other side do? It repels, and 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:54.480 if you put the two sides together, you can't 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:59.000 push them together. And if we look at Jesus lifted 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:02.759 up on the cross as the ultimate positive, If 00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:06.519 we see the negative, I'm a sinner. I'm in need 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:09.420 of a Savior. And I see Jesus, that ultimate positive, 00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:14.079 then I'm drawn to Him. But sometimes we can look 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:16.359 at ourselves in a different way and say, you 00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:21.339 know what? I'm not too bad. That Jesus thing, 00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:25.640 no, I don't need Him. I'm pretty positive in 00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:28.680 myself. And then as we look at our false positive, 00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:33.319 compared to the true positive of Jesus, it does 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:36.539 not come together. But it's when we say, you 00:28:36.539 --> 00:28:39.400 know what, I am a sinner. I am in need of grace. 00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:46.420 That that cross of Christ will draw us, will 00:28:46.420 --> 00:28:49.799 compel us to be with him. There's a statement 00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:52.519 from the book Christ's Object Lessons. It says, 00:28:52.579 --> 00:28:57.599 the last rays of merciful light, the last message 00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:01.660 of mercy, The last message of mercy to be given 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:05.240 to the world, it doesn't say it's to scare somebody 00:29:05.240 --> 00:29:08.180 about something. It doesn't say it's to tell 00:29:08.180 --> 00:29:10.660 somebody about awful things that the future may 00:29:10.660 --> 00:29:15.660 hold. It says the last message of mercy is to 00:29:15.660 --> 00:29:20.880 reveal the character of His love. To be given 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:24.400 to the world is a revelation of God's character 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:29.480 of love. And so if we lift Jesus up, As we remind 00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:33.339 people that the perfect Son of God came and lived 00:29:33.339 --> 00:29:36.700 and died for us, lived and died for them. As 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:39.160 Jesus said, if I am lifted up from the earth, 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:42.500 I will draw all people to myself. People will 00:29:42.500 --> 00:29:46.599 be compelled to see their need of a Savior because 00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:50.460 of the incredible love of Jesus. So what about 00:29:50.460 --> 00:29:55.220 us? Are we full of excuses today? Are we ready 00:29:55.220 --> 00:29:59.549 to accept the invitation? that God gives us? 00:29:59.710 --> 00:30:03.829 Are we excited about the grace that God has poured 00:30:03.829 --> 00:30:07.789 out in our life? There was a young man with a 00:30:07.789 --> 00:30:10.609 really cool name. His name was Hudson. This was 00:30:10.609 --> 00:30:14.630 back in the 1800s. And Hudson grew up in a Christian 00:30:14.630 --> 00:30:18.890 home over in England or Great Britain. And he 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:22.990 was a Christian growing up, but then he decided, 00:30:23.150 --> 00:30:25.910 you know what, I don't believe in this anymore. 00:30:26.509 --> 00:30:29.529 I don't accept this anymore. He started working 00:30:29.529 --> 00:30:32.349 at a bank and making some money, and he began 00:30:32.349 --> 00:30:36.109 to reject those things. But what he didn't know 00:30:36.109 --> 00:30:40.390 is that his mama was still praying for him. There 00:30:40.390 --> 00:30:42.890 was one afternoon that he had some free time, 00:30:42.990 --> 00:30:45.509 and he was trying to find something to do. And 00:30:45.509 --> 00:30:47.309 as he was making his way around town, he came 00:30:47.309 --> 00:30:50.650 across a basket full of books. And as he was 00:30:50.650 --> 00:30:52.490 going through them, he realized they were all 00:30:52.490 --> 00:30:56.799 Christian books, gospel literature. And he thought, 00:30:56.940 --> 00:30:59.019 well, these probably have an interesting story 00:30:59.019 --> 00:31:01.539 in the beginning, and then it'll probably turn 00:31:01.539 --> 00:31:03.759 into some sort of sermon at the end. So I'll 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:06.839 just read the interesting story, and then I won't 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:09.579 worry about the rest of it. And so he began to 00:31:09.579 --> 00:31:14.140 read a book. And the story told of a miner, a 00:31:14.140 --> 00:31:18.279 coal miner, who was dying of tuberculosis. And 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:21.339 as this man was on his deathbed, he was visited 00:31:21.339 --> 00:31:23.539 by some Christians, and these Christians began 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:27.160 to tell him about... about Jesus. And this miner 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:30.599 was just shocked as it told stories about how 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:34.980 in his own body, Jesus bore our sins in his body 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:39.039 on the tree that we, having died to sin, might 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:42.460 live for righteousness. And these Christians 00:31:42.460 --> 00:31:44.900 have begun to tell the man in this story about 00:31:44.900 --> 00:31:50.039 the cross and about Jesus' dying cry upon the 00:31:50.039 --> 00:31:54.500 cross where he said, it is finished. And as Hudson's 00:31:54.500 --> 00:32:00.599 reading the story, his mind was, what? What is 00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:03.559 finished? And he began to comprehend, perhaps 00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:07.180 for the first time, that the significance of 00:32:07.180 --> 00:32:10.220 Jesus' death on the cross, that what was finished 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:14.420 was his guilt for sin as he accepted Jesus as 00:32:14.420 --> 00:32:17.019 his Savior. And as he read that story, he said, 00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:20.519 God, Jesus, forgive me for what I have done. 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:26.069 Please be. my Lord and Savior. And it was about 00:32:26.069 --> 00:32:30.369 two weeks before he saw his mother. And as he 00:32:30.369 --> 00:32:32.650 went to where his mother was, he said, Mama, 00:32:32.730 --> 00:32:36.289 I've got some good news for you. And she said, 00:32:36.369 --> 00:32:39.630 I know. Because I was praying for you two weeks 00:32:39.630 --> 00:32:42.930 ago, and suddenly a peace came over me, and I 00:32:42.930 --> 00:32:45.809 had an inspiration that you had accepted Jesus 00:32:45.809 --> 00:32:49.470 as your Lord and Savior. And Hudson, his last 00:32:49.470 --> 00:32:51.960 name happens to be Hudson Taylor. And if you 00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:54.700 haven't heard of him, a few years later, when 00:32:54.700 --> 00:32:58.059 he was about 22, he went as a missionary to China. 00:32:58.339 --> 00:33:01.859 And for about the next 50 plus years of his life, 00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:05.940 he spent time in China and he created an organization 00:33:05.940 --> 00:33:09.299 called the China Inland Missionary, where they 00:33:09.299 --> 00:33:12.539 had trained and sponsored 800 missionaries to 00:33:12.539 --> 00:33:15.859 go to China in the late 1800s. And thousands 00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:18.819 and thousands of people gave their heart to Jesus 00:33:18.819 --> 00:33:23.150 simply because one person, accepted an invitation 00:33:23.150 --> 00:33:27.390 and wanted to share that same invitation with 00:33:27.390 --> 00:33:30.910 others. Have you accepted the invitation today? 00:33:31.630 --> 00:33:34.529 I want to close with one verse. It's almost the 00:33:34.529 --> 00:33:38.009 last verse of the Bible. Revelation 22, verse 00:33:38.009 --> 00:33:42.930 17. One more invitation that the Bible gives 00:33:42.930 --> 00:33:45.809 us. It says, The Spirit and the bride say, Come. 00:33:46.730 --> 00:33:50.490 And let him who hears say, come. And let him 00:33:50.490 --> 00:33:53.210 who thirsts, if you're thirsty for something 00:33:53.210 --> 00:33:57.869 better, come. And whoever desires, whoever desires, 00:33:58.190 --> 00:34:01.269 each one of us in here, whoever desires, let 00:34:01.269 --> 00:34:05.029 him take the water of life freely. That is what 00:34:05.029 --> 00:34:07.730 Jesus offers us. That is what Jesus offers you. 00:34:08.050 --> 00:34:12.429 I hope that you will accept that blessed grace 00:34:12.429 --> 00:34:16.219 of Jesus and that you'll share that. with somebody 00:34:16.219 --> 00:34:19.019 else. Let's bow our heads for prayer. Dear God, 00:34:19.179 --> 00:34:21.500 we thank you so much for all you have done for 00:34:21.500 --> 00:34:27.400 us. You died for us. And it says if you are lifted 00:34:27.400 --> 00:34:30.539 up, that you will draw all people to yourself. 00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:33.559 So I want to pray for each one of us here. There 00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:36.300 may be somebody here who is not walking with 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:38.079 you. Maybe they've turned in a different direction. 00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:41.099 Maybe they've never accepted you as their Lord 00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:44.500 and Savior. Lord, speak to them right now. And 00:34:44.500 --> 00:34:46.420 may they, in the quiet of their own heart, just 00:34:46.420 --> 00:34:49.840 say, Lord, I want to follow you. In your name 00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:50.199 we pray.