Someone said (in verse 15), "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the Kingdom of God."
To be eating at the feast in God’s Kingdom is a blessing.
- God wants us to fellowship with Him. He wants us to come back into His Kingdom.
- God is inviting us today, and Jesus wants the people to know that.
- He shared with them this parable:
1. GOD IS INVITING YOU FOR FELLOWSHIP (vv.16-17)
"A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, "Come, for all things are now ready."
John heard the angel says in Rev 19:9-10, "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
God is just like this man who are prepared a great supper and inviting us to go.
- He has everything prepared. We are just called to come.
- God wants to bless us. He wants to have this fellowship with us.
- The Bible tells us we did not seek Him first. He was the One who sought us.
- It is not that we love Him first, but He first loved us.
It is an invitation. We just need to say YES.
- It is not pot-luck feast where everyone has to cook something.
- People say you have to do some good works in order to get into the Kingdom.
- The Bible says we can’t. Even our best cannot meet God’s standard.
"All things are now ready." God has provided salvation in Jesus Christ.
- Everything that needs to be done has been accomplished by Christ.
- Jesus needs to tell this parable because his listeners were are Pharisees and experts in the law (14:3).
- He was dining at a prominent Pharisee’s house on a Sabbath day, with guests being advocates of the law.
- They believe that people need to obey the law in order to please God and be saved.
But Jesus says God has done everything for us.
- The invitation is out and you just need to accept the offer.
- Yet God is not going to force us.
2. GOD IS GIVING YOU THE FREEDOM TO RESPOND (vv. 18-20)
After the Lord says, "Come!" (v.17) the responsibility is shifted to our side.
- God has already prepared everything. The meal is cooked and laid out.
- Now we need to make that choice, to accept His invitation.
We would have thought that everyone invited would love to go.
- But the truth is not so. People do not know how important this decision is.
- They don’t find it important to know God or commune with Him.
- In this story, many turned down the invitation.
Why? They were distracted by many things.
- We were told of at least three of them, with what seems to be ‘good excuses’.
- If we think through, these are not actually important issues.
- They are not doing anything bad or evil, but they are just not important things.
Today, many people are living this way.
- They are spending lots of time doing things that are not really important.
- They care more for temporary things and neglect the eternal.
- They neglect spiritual matters. They reject God.
- They are too busy to think seriously about what is more important.
Remember the juggler illustration. We are juggling many balls in life - career, family, children, possession, etc. But some balls are made of glass, irrecoverable once it is dropped. What are some things that are most important now in your life?
14:18 "But they all alike began to make excuses."
- The first said, "I just bought a field and need to go see it." (v.18)
- The second says, "I just bought 5 yoke of oxen, and I’m on the way to try them out." (v.19)
- The last one says, "I just got married, so I can’t come." (v.20)
Frankly, we know where they are coming from. Their motivation is obvious.
- Actually with a little effort each of them could have easily made arrangements and be at the banquet.
- Think about it, they wouldn’t have lost the field, or the oxen or the wife if they had gone to the banquet.
It has nothing to do with the activity they are caught up with.
- It is a matter of the heart. They just do not want to go. And it is not about eating, it is a show of disrespect to the owner.
- They do not want to have a fellowship or relationship with him.
They have made a foolish decision. We do not want to fall into the same traps.
The first trap is: WE ARE TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH THINGS (v.18)
- "I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me."
- How could he have bought a land without seeing it? Why the hurry to see it again?
Don’t be too preoccupied by the things you own.
- It’s like the court cases where siblings fight each other over the house or inheritance. Possession is more important than family relationship.
Remember all that we have comes from God. He gives them to us.
- If He gives, He can take away. Job 9:12 says, "If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are you doing?’"
- If our possessions demand all of our attention, more so than God, then we have fallen into the trap. They have become our idol.
- We are cheating ourselves of that which is more important, a greater blessing.
- These people are robbing ourselves of a spiritual feast and not knowing it.
The second trap is: WE ARE BUSY MAKING A LIVING (v. 19)
- "I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me."
- He is probably a farmer, and very concerned about his work, his ‘rice bowl’.
- If these oxen cannot do their job well, he would have a problem making a living.
Making a living is tough. But frankly, God did not ask us to make a living.
- We are told to get a life, from Him.
- Not to worry about what to eat or drink, or what to wear, Jesus said (Matt 6:25).
- The Father cares for the birds He will care for us.
- Rather, we are to seek His Kingdom first (Matt 6:33). This requires FAITH.
We will fall into this trap if we rely on our own effort to make a living.
- We have to entrust our work and future to the Lord.
- Dn Michael Lee can share with you this testimony. He lost his job. The feeling is not good. How are you going to survive in the coming days?
- He prayed. We prayed. And we waited. And we see God opening doors.
- He got a new job, a better one and is now happily working, and earning more than before.
And we see a last trap: WE PUT OUR LOVE BEFORE GOD (v.20)
- "I just got married, so I can’t come."
- You have a greater love, a greater interest, a greater pleasure, than God.
- I prefer to spend time with my wife, with my friends, with my loves than with God. Whatever you are pursuing will become your idol.
God does not demand much from us.
- He asks us to give Him a tenth of what we earn, and keep the rest (9 tenth).
- He asks us to dedicate one day in seven for Him, and enjoy the rest of our six days. But we can’t even keep that!
- Can you imagine this? Even that little that God expects from us, we cannot do it.
2000 years may have passed since Jesus shared this parable, but people have not changed. We are still making the same mistakes today.
- Don’t settle for second-best. Respond to God’s invitation now and come.
- Don’t be foolish. Don’t reject God’s invitation. You are making a big mistake.
14:21 the owner became angry.
- God may be a God of love and grace, but do understand this, God can be angry.
- We don’t usually talk about God being angry with us, but He does.
- God was angry with Moses for disobeying His orders, with Aaron, Solomon because they sinned and with Israel for their idolatry.
- Rev 3 tells us God is very unhappy with lukewarm Christians. "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." (3:19)
3. GOD WELCOMES ALL WHO ARE WILLING TO COME (vv.21-24)
Others were invited to take their places.
- Jesus wants the listeners at the dinner to understand. They were Pharisees and people who know the books of the law.
- God reveals His salvation plan first to Israel, the Jews. They were told about the Messiah who will come.
- But the Lord says if those who are first invited - the Jews reject the invitation, the offer will be open to all. The Bible describes them as Gentiles, the non-Jew.
We are all on this list. Everyone in the streets is invited.
- Whoever is willing to accept the offer, will enjoy what God has prepared.
- But the big question is, are they willing?
DISTRACTED
One morning a farmer told his wife that he was going out to pluck the ripen fruits from his field.
He got off to an early start so he could warm up the truck. He needed more petrol, so he went to the store to get it. On the way to the store he noticed the pigs weren’t fed. So he proceeded to the corn crib, where he found some sacks of feed. Beside the sacks were potatoes that were sprouting. Then when he started for the potato pit, he passed the wood pile and remembered that his wife wanted wood in the house. As he picked up a few sticks, an ailing chicken passed by. He dropped the wood and picked up the chicken.
When noon arrived, the frustrated farmer had not even gotten to the truck, let alone to the field. By now, it is very hot. Some ripen fruits have dropped.
Have you ever intended to do something you knew was very important, but found yourself in a similar situation - distracted by many other seemingly important tasks, which kept you from accomplishing your main objective?
Seek God and worship Him.
- Seek His Kingdom first and serve Him.
- The Lord will bless us and help us with the rest of our tasks.
