Morning Gathering
But no Use Somebody.
This isn't what is it? I mean
This is a high-tech morning. I'm going to try not to write this thing myself. So if it goes crazy and of the PowerPoint, don't worry about it. I K. Good morning everyone. I hope you're all doing well. Good to have the privilege to shut together this morning a few weeks ago on July 9th. An invitation was posted on the Hope City website. By Hannah Fuchs. I hope City Family Tom and I are getting married a week today. I would love it. If you could come to the ceremony. We're excited to be starting on marriage by singing praises to God and we hope you'll come and help us raise the roof with your singing. The ceremony will be on cheers to the 16th at 11 a.m. Charlotte Chapel Chandra. Play some lovely ladies from HCC. Hope City Church will be providing some home baking afterwards. The first person to post a response world's Hannah's mother Susan.
And she put on keep it on the website. I think we're free that day. I might be washing my hair though.
Well, we all know it's a joke, and that Susan and Joe many of us attended that wonderful wedding. wonderful though this was Jesus spoke about an invitation to a far greater future celebration in one of his stories and like his Parables is the store is it cold? There is a sting in the tail amazingly some of those invited don't bother to turn up for the most trivial of reasons. So let's read about it and go to a been going through this Gospel of Luke, which is Luke's account of the life of Jesus in the Bible that are full of ghosts was Matthew Mark Luke and John we're making our way slowly through Lou we come to page 104, right? If you go into these blue Bibles page 104h and wearing chapter 14. That's a big bubble letters to numbers are the chapters. The small letters are the bestest and you'll see the heading in the Bible. The parable of the great banquet Luke 14 vs 2015 to 24 and Alex is going to read it for us.
When one of those at the table with Jesus blessed is the one who eat the feast and the kingdom of God Jesus replied A Certain mom is preparing a great banquet invited many gas at the time of the banquet. He sent his servant to tell Boo's been invited, for everything is not ready. But the Ola like began to make excuses first the first sight I have just bought a field and I must go see it, please excuse me. Another said I have just bought five yoke of oxen and I'm on my way to try them out, please. Excuse me still another said I have just got married so I can come. The servant came back and reported this to his master, then the owner of the house became angry and order to 7th and to the streets and alleys of the time I'll bring in the pool or the crippled the blinds on a lame soeur certain sites. What you ordered has been done, but there is still room in the master told his servants going to the roads country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be filled. I tell you that one of those who were invited who can taste of my banquet. Thank you and extreme itch.
So what do you do? What do you say you fear into dinner party? I don't have to go to the in the process. I don't go to very many of it and someone around the table set something really embarrassing really out of order.
That's why it's so if you been in the series, you still got the Bible open in front of you in the previous section. Jesus has been invited to a dinner party by a prominent Pharisee a religious leader is that this prominent dinner party and it turns out to be very disturbing then I guess. Twice is just something and does something that stuns everybody would silence. My canvas for Jesus smoking that remain silent this 6 that nothing to say and finally to Crown it all imagine yourself important people to Chronic Jesus looks around and your brothers your sisters your relatives these people around you. Oh, you're rich neighbors. If you do them invite you back and you'll be repaid but when you give a banquet and by the pool the crippled the lame the Blind and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you you'll be repaid the resurrection of the righteous Boom Big silence huge embarrassment. What do you do? What do you say? Well, that's so often happens on these occasions. Someone jumps in and says something that they think everybody will agree with.
Including Jesus when one of those at the table with him, this is the contact bud what Jesus just said. He said to Jesus blessed is the one that will eat at the feast in the Kingdom of God in God's Kingdom.
The resurrection of the righteous Jesus just talked about Jesus says blessed are those who will make it to heaven after death at the resurrection of the righteous? Blessed are those who will lead to the face in the kingdom of God now? What is he talkin about what he's choking these Jewish people who have their own Bible which is our Old Testament and everyone that knew what the face in the kingdom of God was because a great prophet 700 years before cold outside but spoken about it. He promised the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for old peoples bank with the Bajan wine. The best of meats. The finest of wines go to the mill new wouldn't it be fantastic? Is a banquet that is described that will surpass all of the Banquets in invitations. Yes, everyone.
Brazilian we wrong if we think this because Jesus warns them in this Parable. It is possible to miss out. This is a parable warning us not to miss out. Don't miss out on this big banquet at the end of time. Don't miss out on Heaven show very simply. Let's just follow through the stages of the stories got the Bible in front of you. All right begins. It begins with future celebrations future celebrations. Jesus replied to what the man that said a certain man Was preparing. A great banquet and invited many guests know there were two requirements if you're going to run the banquet. All right. The first one is you need food and wine. Food and wine something to satisfy your appetite.
Will see Grill sense of things to satisfy her appetite some people particularly food and drink and you can see the result when you look at that size fit look for things that truly satisfy has. For the problem is we all know we all end up hungry and thirsty. But this is an invitation to a banquet. Where is going to be the finest of food. The finest of wine is going to surpass everything else. So you need food, but you will send me the second thing for a banquet which is pretty obvious. You need you need people.
I promised the God is the host of the face and send invitation to All Peoples. God is supposed to this banquet at the final end of times. Our God is the banquet hosted the banquet but his some very interesting you just want to eat and drink alone.
He made human beings like you and me to know him is to love him to enjoy a relationship with it. That's the purpose for which we were made that's built into a DNA the story of human history. The story of each of Our Lives that we really is one big story is the story of how God put things right? That went wrong right in the first book in the Bible right through to the last book of the Bible. It will finish within a few minutes miles 10 minutes.
And it's probably fine. I meant in the coming of Jesus.
The great banquet is prepared food and fellowship of the many guests are invited. You need to know a little bit of background about weddings in the east in the East like we do you send invitations to weddings. We send that written invitations don't message remember coming on. This is very high-tech. I really struggle with the actor look on the website and say you were going to come by. Anyway, whatever means you give the date. Can you send out the invitations and you indicate? What are you going to come or not? Thank u r s v p You responded so, yep. I'm coming home. Sorry, Make It Alright. People get exactly the same thing probably sent by Word of Mouth a big face is coming in your invited and you would say yeah, I'm going to come when you got indications use Avenue how many people to K24? How much food to get in I'm trying to get in how many servants you going to need any tables any place? I was once at a wedding in India. When I lived in India with 2,000 gas believe me or does a big tin buckets of Curry that they don't have to be Plumb banana leaves. Well, we got steel traces. We were special guests attended for this wedding. Finally when everything was ready approximate time, but not the exact time find it when everything was ready jobs have been killed whatever a second invitation. The Sim was then sent out to the people who said we going to come to 70 sent out to say to them. The feast is ready everything ready time to come. And you down tools whatever you doing. You got that when you run off well whooped up. Show at the time of the banquet he sent his servant saying to those you've been invited come for everything is now ready. Now. If we don't want to push all the details of Parables, but is very clear 7 to go job. The invitations is Jesus himself. Jesus is pictured in the Old Testament and New Testament as a servant of the Lord began his ministry when Jesus began at the national life, and he said the time has come. The kingdom of God has come near repent and believe the good news. Everything is ready. The feast is ready. God's time for told by the prophets that Jesus has finally arrived. This is the moment all the preparations and be made. The final moment is coming when people from every tribe and Nation will gather around the Throne of God in heaven the most celebrating his fantastic face. What a privilege to be invited to this great banquet faced, but we are wrong for in the parable. We discover. He's got a sting in the tale as we travel with this in the story. He takes Define limitations notice we discovered second feature present preoccupations.
I just said visit these people who said yeah, we're going to be that he discovers. That there's no change their minds and they begin to make excuses why they come come read the story. You need to know about Jewish background to appreciate the humor in this story. All right, you will laugh when it said Susan might not be coming cuz he's watching the hair believe me. These excuses are washing hair excuses. All right, something like the first one says, please excuse me. No self-respecting Jewish ever going to buy field without first seeing it. That would be ridiculous. A second excuses equally false and insulting. I bought V yoke of oxen. I'm on my way to try them out. I mean again no self-respecting In Action Impact in those days. Apparently they had a field at that side of your house. And if you it's a bit like going to get a test drive when you get back, you got to give it a try. The auction is a joke send message excuses just as ridiculous as I just got married. When did he get married in the recent past is no excuse. You can go to the face and come back to his Daily News.
Temperature what's the point to the power of Jesus said you people think it'd be great to invite be invited to heaven to the big bank with the reality is your own making excuses. You don't really want to come you've got other things that preoccupied.
Middle eastern x with that can This Be Love mentioned about Pearls Before says the parable says that as they reject Jesus with these an acceptable excuses. They're rejecting the great banquet salvation promised by God in Isaiah that is in some senses banquet is Even Now set before them with the presence of Jesus and damaged but not only do they reject the host. They also reject and prefer other thing. You see these people don't really want to come cuz I've got other priorities. They're preoccupied with other things, but you're more important than God's kingdom and God sin. A6 they break their previous promises, so I thought host in his invitation in Flatbush preparation
If you sent the most if I said to you, do you want to make sure you're you'll be in heaven? You said? Yes, of course, I would want to be in heaven. So they're going to be in the other place. But the reality is that many people may be as I've got other things too preoccupied in this life.
work relationships thing wrong with those things But then we'll see next week cuz we came to the next section. I'm going to preach Taylor Swift and flooring and he'll see it's cool the cost of being a disciple these things must take second place to seeking God first and his kingdom if we're going to make it to happen. Jesus himself said seek first the kingdom of God and sadly many people miss out on future celebrations because your present preoccupation. So let me pose in that SKU. What are you preoccupied with? Did you focus ultimately on heaven and things that last story on this life and things are only temporary that never fully satisfy.
When I was growing up some Christians used to be accused of being so Heavenly minded that would know if Lee is I'm not fed that said very often nowadays about Christians many people as so it's a reminder. There's no Heaven leaves. And the irony of the published showing up missed by the host at this banquet that she's been invited to the promised Messiah for these last days cuz I really preoccupied today. I know some of you know, love you. You can be brought up some of the younger ones you can be brought up in a Christian family. If you know the Bible you can know all about Jesus and everything else.
But you're more interested in this present life any good future Kingdom. And the reality is that for the you can miss out so Point 150 celebration occupations for those who like things that rhyme and remember to vote. If you didn't know you just ignoring the sad thing is contrasting conclusions. The Sun goes by can you set screws Master? None of those people? Who said they were coming is coming. The master is really angry legitimately angry cancel the banquet in steady or is it supposed to go to the people who are not originally invited to look at what he says and does 21 go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bringing the pool the crippled up blind. I'm a lame now. We just read those something unfortunate people. But if you're rich you you know that these four categories of people who are excluded from public Worship in the temple because of their imperfections in God's law. They weren't the ones you were going to make it.
One right to come. It's the pool or not invited to Banquets the main do not get married the blind do not go out to examine fields and the lane do not test option. But here they are and it shouldn't go chat and he finds them and he brought them in from the islands in the sidewalks.
And they gladly accept the invitation unlike the Pharisees the religious ladies shoe mishap. He goes to the down-and-out to despise the tax collector. We going to see this and next Parables coming up in chapter 15 The Lost coin the lost sheep. Will Ascend you see the same thing coming out to getting in the game and they're the ones who accept the invitation. So the sun reports back to his master reset of people but there's still room look look at the time.
And the master extends invitation for the he says go out into the town's the roads and country lanes make them come in. So my house maybe full now the invitation to the Feast of God is extended not only to those on the fringes of Jewish Society. It is now extended to people who don't even belong so cool Gentiles who despised by the Jewish people such a thing would have been shocking to Jesus house.
I think it's so shocking for those who've been invited know just what the word says don't compel them to come in this a word that suddenly been miss you sometimes but the strength of the world because these people when they get the invitation to say you come meet me at the stake no compelling and persuade them to come in. It's an invitation to old people which is why we're here today for all of us can be included in God's Kingdom. What do you think about it? We've been singing about God's Amazing Grace So marvelous. Unconditional free if you really understand God's grace you really red flat places. That's something the matter rotate. John Newton was a slave trade that he was a drunkard. He leave the dissolute life and he came to faith in Christ in the middle of a storm is in the storm at sea trying to get home. I've been a slave trade. We've been enslaved himself and on the boat. He describes having the boat was a terrible storm and he walked up behind a sailor going up the ladder to get on deck and the Sailor was swept over the side and he said it's a little not help me. I'm finished and God saved him and he wrote the hymn Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a Wretch like Me. UC Maybe you're the problem is some of his made me think you don't know what the things I've done. You don't know the kind of person. I am now. I don't but coach Grace extends to all people that extends to those who are unworthy.
The sad thing is sometimes the most religious people are the ones who were excluded because they think that good enough to get that run their own merits and if we think this would not only mistake you will miss out entirely but notice what Jesus ones he ones the last twenty-four I tell you not one of those men who are invited will get the taste of my banquet 24 whether this is address to everyone or just specifically the people here is closer to those who reject his invitation will miss out completely. Probably a little bit. Like I don't think he will do it so much these days used to be if you couldn't get to a wedding legitimately. You would send it to the wedding cake in Little Talks to people to people still do that. We used to do that send that little box at the wedding cakes with the Elizabeth's mother anyone my age and older remember this Eastern weddings you send some food to those are legitimate could make it. Jesus said them not get a single Taste of the banquet. You see what Jesus says You must come when you have cooled not late to when you might choose. I'm in when I was growing. I was thinking when I grew up in a Christian family and had the Christian use many times. I felt like Sons fine, but I'll wait till I'm in my seventies and then then I'll become a Christian. Thankful to have a human could shut up you come when you put one right to put you like this. No one can enter the kingdom of God without the invitation of God and no one can remain outside of it. But by his own choice. So another finished we began with a wedding song to finish with the wedding. All right. Remember what triggered all this stuff you still with is the person who said blessed is the one who will eat the feast and God's Kingdom. Now set the Bible was one long story the last book of the Bible gives you some more details about the face then this is what it says the Book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible chapter 19 verse 9 says bless those who can't read those blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper the wedding Feast the wedding supper of the Lamb marriage supper of the lamb pictures the end of time as a great wedding feast And the bride is the Church of Christ. And he says it's a wedding supper of the lamb whose the lamb the lamb is Jesus. He paid the price for the wedding Feast so that we might get to heaven an old him pussy like this that wasn't it with a good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the Gate of Heaven and lettuce in you see the invitations is still going up. Today in human history there is still room which is why we sets at this church. So we need to get out there and invite people and tell them there is still room. If you know the Christian yet there is still room. But not indefinitely. It's great to see me this section of Lucas that there is a dollar in naira. Do it on Monday. The door will be closed no more opportunity, but the Bible finally ends in the final chapter the final verses of the Bible ends with a wonderful invitation to come the spirit and the bride say come let the one who hears say come let the one who is thirsty come let the one who wishes take the Water of Life without cost. So I owed you to accept the invitation and most importantly Don't miss out. Let's pray and then we'll look at some questions.
Gracious God we thank you that you've made it possible for us. Despite who we are and what we may have done. to get to heaven and to be part of that wonderful Eternal wedding celebration satisfaction. Enjoy forevermore with all those you left. Thank you may be possible through your son who died so that we might be forgiven. And rose again to give his dissing your life. We pray that we may be those who will accept the invitation.
And also extend the invitation is Rico afternoon by to the people. Telling them to the feast is ready and there is still room. We ask it in Jesus name Piano Gallery.
How many sent you do the questions on that? Thank you.
Okay. Thank you for that talking Peter and I was