Come; For All Things Are Now Ready

Come; for All Things Are Now Ready

Luke 14:16-24

Intro

In the parable of the great supper, our Lord presents a picture of the blessings of Christianity under the figure of a wonderful banquet in which everything has been provided by God who is the generous Host. The world promises much to those who would dive into its pleasures, but those who do so always find more pebbles than pearls. Only God can provide a feast that can satisfy the hunger and thirst of people’s souls. The banquet prepared by the God of grace and mercy is for all who will accept the invitation to come. There is food enough for all who will come in all ages.

Throughout the Old Testament the blessings of God’s grace are often spoken of as a feast. In this parable our Lord speaks of a great feast, of foolish excuses offered by some, and of the fearful fate of those who reject God’s gracious hospitality.

I. We are invited to a feast prepared by the God of grace

a. The feast to which God invites us is a banquet that provides adequately for the deepest hungers of the human heart.

i. The blessings freely offered are a richer feast to the soul than the richest dainties are to the body.

ii. All the needs of people are supplied at this great supper.

iii. All the blessings of the gospel are on display to be enjoyed in a large measure here and perfectly hereafter.

iv. Concerning this feast, the psalmist declared, “Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over” (Psalm 23:5

v. John the Revelator looked into heaven and saw the continuation of this feast.

“The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them into living fountains of water” (Rev. 7:17)

b. If your soul is burdened and crushed by a depressed load of grief, be assured that forgiveness is on the menu.

i. God is eager to pardon every sin and forgive every transgression.

ii. He can cleanse from all the defilement of sin and deliver you from the power of sin.

c. The host at this great feast to which you are invited offers the gift of divine Sonship which carries with it his Fatherhood.

i. Until people come to Christ, they are creatures with the capacity for fellowship with God, but they become children of God only through the new birth from above.

d. The fellowship at this feast is indescribably wonderful

i. God is the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, but he also grants to each believer access into his divine presence continuously.

ii. One of the most beautiful pictures of this truth is contained in Rev. 3:20

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me.”

iii. Particularly, note the feast and the fellowship with the living Christ serving as the divine Host.

iv. No other fellowship is comparable to this.

e. To sit at the banquet table and enjoy the hospitality of a gracious host implies friendship.

i. Abraham was called the friend of God.

1. He responded to God’s invitation.

2. He trusted God.

3. He obeyed God

4. He sought to do the things that were pleasing to God.

ii. This friendship with God was both enriching and transforming.

iii. God is gracious in that he will permit us to be his friends.

iv. Jesus told his disciples and us today in John 15:14-15

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

v. Jesus is the friends that every man needs.

vi. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother.

f. Among the blessed benefits of this feast is the promise of fruitfulness.

i. In the same instance in which the Savior spoke of friendship, he also spoke of our bearing much fruit to the glory of God, in John 15:16.

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

ii. One of our deepest needs is to have the assurance that we are doing something worthwhile.

iii. It is encouraging to know that this is a part of the divine provision for us.