Our Invitation To The Party Series

"Our Invitation to the Party"

Luke 17:20-30

A sermon for 5/28/23 – Pentecost Sunday

Pastor John Bright

Luke 17 “20 Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

22 Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 Then people will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. 24 For just like the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage—right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” New English Translation

Pause right there. Why are you listening to this? Do you want to become more like Jesus? The power of the Holy Spirit is available to you right now – right here! Do you want to become more like Jesus? It’s a question only you can answer.

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Have you ever thought about how an invitation works?

Here’s an example: Let’s say I get an invitation to a party. I have a choice to make. I can reply, “Yes, I will be there at the party.” I can also reply, “No, I will not be able to attend.”

Any time we receive an invitation, the choice is ours. Do you agree?

Jesus often used the language of invitation to describe the Kingdom of God.

When does the party start? v.20-21

“20 Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

We have learned from Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders in the Gospel of Luke that these folks would not be part of the Kingdom of God. Now, we find them questioning when this new Kingdom will begin. Jesus’ answer is revealing the plain truth that most were unable to see in that day. That truth is “THE KING IS RIGHT HERE IN THE FLESH.” Look at His answer – “For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” This is just common sense so it must have made no sense to them, for there to be a Kingdom there has to be a King. The coming of Jesus, the King, is the coming of the Kingdom:

• At the Incarnation – Matthew 2:1-2 “1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem 2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

• At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry – Mark 1:14-15 “14 Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 15 He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”

• At the Cross of Calvary – many times in Matthew 27, Jesus is referred to as “King of the Jews” – “41 In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law and elders—were mocking him: 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him!”

• At the Resurrection and the Second Coming – 1 Corinthians 15:22-24 “22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.”