THE GREAT BANQUET
- Read Luke 14:15-24
As we look at this passage of Scripture, we notice Jesus telling a parable about a man who prepared a large banquet. I mean, this man pulled out all the stops. He fixed things up nice. He had the caterers prepare the meal. His servants decorated the place. Everything was ready and prepared.
I. GOD HAS PREPARED A PLACE FOR YOU
My friends, I want you to know that God has prepared a banquet, a place for you.
> John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Did you hear that? Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you and I. Listen, this is no little old caterer we’re talking about preparing a place for us. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God! In John we are told that Jesus created all things. Jesus says in Matthew, that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. So, Jesus, the One with the power to create all things; Jesus, the One Who has been given all authority; Jesus, the One Who loves us enough to die for us, has gone to prepare a place for us. Let me tell you, when Jesus prepares a place for those Whom He loves and those who love Him, He doesn’t mess around.
Let’s think for a moment about the place Jesus has prepared for us.
1. Heaven is a place of no-more – Someone has called heaven the place of no more.
> Revelation 21:3-4
Heaven is a place of “no-more.” It is a place where there are no more tears. These verses tell us that God will wipe away the tears of His children.
Oh my friend, at the banquet Jesus has prepared for us, the tears of the lonely will be wiped away, because there they will find a “Friend who sticks closer than a brother”. At that banquet, the fatherless will have their tears wiped away by their heavenly Father. In Heaven, there will be no more death. Death will no longer separate us from the ones we love. Can you imagine never having to say goodbye again?
These verses tell us that in heaven there will be no more crying, no more pain and no more grief. Can you imagine? Forget headaches. Forget arthritis.
In heaven we will receive new bodies. Chuck will run with the children. Neil will dance with the young. No more. No more hunger. No more separation. No more disease.
Jesus will wipe away our tears of regret. How often do we look on the past and remember things we’ve done which we would have done differently? How often do we regret decisions and mistakes we’ve made? Oh my friend, our Lord will wipe away those tears of regret.
Heaven is a place of no more.
Heaven is also a place of reunion.
2. Heaven is a place of reunion
In Matthew 17, we are told that Jesus took 3 of His disciples up on a mountain. There they met Moses and Elijah. Even though the disciples had never met them before, they knew who both of them were. They recognized those who had gone to heaven before them.
In heaven we will know each other. We will recognize one another and we will see those who have gone before us.
Gladys doesn’t like it much when I talk about looking forward to going to heaven, because she often warns me I had better not go off and leave her. But I admit I sometimes feel torn like Paul. There is so much work to do here on earth, and so many friends I want to know Jesus that I hate leaving, but I do look forward to getting to heaven, and the older I get the more I look forward to it because I have more and more friends waiting there.
Think of the reunion we will have there. In heaven we will see the friends and loved ones who have gone before us. Don’t you know they are looking forward to showing us around the place? In heaven we will get to visit with Peter, James and John. In heaven we will see Moses, and Noah, Daniel, Isaiah, and David.
Don’t you know that Doug Reynolds will be standing there, wanting to show us around?
I remember when Dusty came home, after being stationed overseas for more than a year. We had missed him and when he got off the airplane, I grabbed him in a hug and together we did a dance in the airport. Can you imagine the dancing we’ll do in heaven at that reunion?
Heaven is a place of no more. Heaven is a place of reunion, and heaven is a place of worship.
3. Heaven is a place of worship.
In the book of Revelation we are told that those around the throne cry out, “Holy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb.” In heaven we will get to see Jesus. There we will see our Savior. There we will see our Lord.
Can you imagine what it will be like when we get to see our nail-scarred Savior? We will worship like we never have before.
There we will be able to worship without distraction. There we will be able to worship wholeheartedly. There we will have the opportunity to cast our crowns at His feet.
So many other things we could say about heaven this morning, but our weak imaginations limit us for the Bible says:
> 1 Corinthians 2:9 …Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
In other words, heaven is better than anything you can imagine or I can describe. God has prepared a place for you.
II. GOD REQUIRES A RESPONSE FROM YOU
- Luke 14:17-18a
God prepared a place, and then He sent an invitation.
Now, in those days, in the Middle East, when a banquet was going be held like this, the One throwing the banquet would send out his servants and offer an invitation to his friends. He would then decide what and how many animals to butcher and prepare depending on how many people said they would come. After he got confirmations, he would have the animals butchered and prepared, then he would send his servants out again and tell the people, “OK, everything is ready now. Yall come.” (In the northern part of the Middle East he would say, “You guys come.”)
So these friends said they were coming. He prepared the meal and then told them, “Come on. The table is set. One after another, the people who said they were coming and that he had prepared the meal for, declined. They backed out on him.
Did you hear the stupid excuses they offered?
1. Property – The first one said, “I just bought some property. Let me go look at it.” Now that was a lie, and those hearing Jesus tell this parable would know it was a lie. No one bought a field in the Middle East without knowing every square foot of it like the palm of his hand. The springs, wells, stone walls, trees, paths and anticipated rainfall were all well-known long before a discussion of the purchase price was even begun.
The guy with the property was intentionally insulting the host by offering an obviously false excuse. (Through Peasant Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey.)
2. Oxen – Teams of oxen in the Middle East were sold in 2 ways. Large village, they would have the opportunity to try out the oxen in a field beside the market place before they bought. In a smaller village, the farmer would announce they were for sale. People would come watch him plow his field with them, and then try them out for themselves.
He was making an excuse that didn’t hold water. He had already tried out the oxen before he bought them. (Ibid)
3. Wife – Couldn’t have 2 large events going on in a village at the same time. Guests would be torn. Plus, the man had accepted the invitation the night before, or that morning.
They were just making excuses.
EXCUSES PEOPLE MAKE TODAY
1. I have to spend time with my family –
> Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.
2. I have to work to make a living –
>Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
3. It’s my only day to rest/sleep in
> Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
4. God is a kill-joy –
> John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.
> Acts 2:21 then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
God requires a response from you.
III. GOD LOOKS FOR SERVICE FROM YOU
1. We must pray – No one comes without an invitation
> John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.
> John 6:65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by the Father.
No one can come unless God draws them.
> 1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.
2. We must invite –
- Luke 14:23
Persuade. Convince.
> 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
