Text: Luke 14:15-24, Title: The Master’s Desire, Date/Place: NRBC, 2/7/10, AM
A. Opening illustration: Unless there is a transformation of contemporary church life so that once again the task of evangelism is something which is seen as incumbent on every baptized Christian, and is backed up by a quality of living which outshines the best that unbelief can muster, we are unlikely to make much headway through techniques of evangelism. Men will not believe that Christians have good news to share until they find that bishops and bakers, university professors and housewives, bus drivers and street corner preachers are all alike keen to pass along (the gospel), however different their methods may be. And then they will continue to believe that the church is an introverted society composed of ‘respectable’ people and bent on its own preservation until they see in church groupings and individual Christians the caring, the joy, the fellowship, the self sacrifice, and the openness which mark the early church at its best. –Michael Green quoted by Alvin Reid in his new book
B. Background to passage: Jesus is eating dinner in the house of a Pharisee, probably with a bunch of other Pharisees (sounds like a Baptist fellowship meal, huh?). And they were watching Jesus like a hawk. And then a man who was swollen up all over came. So Jesus asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath-“ox in the ditch.” So then He spoke about guests at parties, upending all social graces and customs at the time. And when they didn’t get it, they made a religious comment spoken to impress the Rabbi, and so Jesus nailed them again on this topic with a story about a dinner party that many refused to come to. They would have known it was about them, it was very pointed, especially at the end. The servant would have been representative of them (Israel then, us now), and again, Jesus broke all the social customs of the culture with the Master’s orders, which the servant in the story followed precisely. And the express desire of the/their Master was that the house be filled with all peoples who would follow Him. So in relation to the last part of our vision statement, I want to remind us of our responsibilities to the Master to fulfill His desires rather than our own.
C. Main thought: I am going to look at the parable from the servant’s perspective, because that’s where Jesus makes the application; so four things that a true servant “must be”
A. Compliant (v. 16-17)
1. Notice in this parable the servant is always doing what the Master told him to do. The Master says go, and the servant goes, without hesitation, without excuse, without begging pleading, without having to be reminded, guilted, or manipulated. And every time he completes a task, he reports back to the Master, for His approval. And he probably doesn’t do it simply because it’s his duty (for he was the chief of servants, who was probably there willingly), but because He loves the Master, and wants to please Him. But even if he didn’t love the master, servants had not option not to comply.
2. John 14:15, 21, 1 John 2:3-4, 5:2,
3. Illustration: explain my bewilderment at the comments of young Ramses on The Prince of Egypt, “I am Egypt, the morning and evening star, if I say, day shall be night, and night day, it will be written…” “If you love Me, keep My commands; and if you follow Me, deny yourself; and if you love this world, then you don’t love Me; if you are lukewarm, then you make Me sick; and if you don’t speak, how will they know; and if you don’t preach, how will they believe; and if you don’t go, how will they call My Name; Oh, how I long for them to call My Name.” first trip with Mike Kennedy, we would just stop in the marketplace and he would say, “preach.”
4. Evangelism can’t be reduced to obedience to a command alone, although that is part of it. But we can say that many times it is a central part of it. And we seem to have such a hard time with that part of it. Repeatedly, we are told in scripture to be ready to give an answer, a testimony, a witness to the power of Christ and His resurrection. One of the last and most important things that Jesus said was to go forth proclaiming the gospel to every creature home and abroad making disciples. And we do not comply. And our excuses are lamer than these three men who are ditching the banquet! We must deal with excuses, some of which must be overcome, so that when He calls and leads, we are willing to share. As a servant, you shouldn’t have to be warned, admonished, manipulated, reminded, compelled, or guilted, but only instructed to share Christ. It can be a simple case of disobedience.
B. Clear (v. 18-20)
1. The servant’s message was simple, “Come, all is ready.” But this is a clear message: you have indicated that you are attending, now everything is ready, so put down the curling iron or TV remote, and come to the Master’s house. This call had urgency and clarity. And the excuses were all pretty lame, and barely plausible, but excuses none the less. And all of them had to do with business or family. And the call was to allow business, family, recreation, hobbies, friends, honey-do’s, and anything else, to be prioritized behind the banquet (or the Master). The Master desires preeminence, and if anyone wanted to sit at the great eschatological banquet, they must count the cost, sell the farm, take up the cross, and follow Him.
2. Luke 14:25-33, 9:57-62,
3. Illustration: the farmer who asked his neighbor if he could borrow a rope? The neighbor said, “Sorry, I’m using the rope to tie up my milk.” “Milk?” said the farmer. “You can’t tie up milk with a rope.” The neighbor replied, “I know, but when a man doesn’t want to do something, one reason is as good as another.” “We have no artistic license in delivering the gospel.” –JM, “…we hear it all the time that getting saved is easy. ‘Just sign the little card!’ ‘Just raise your hand’ ‘Just walk down the aisle’ ‘Just recite this prayer’ ‘Just ask Jesus into your heart’ This all sounds so simple. The only problem is that none of those actions have anything to do with real salvation and getting through the narrow gate…I don’t believe anyone ever slipped and fell into the Kingdom of God. That’s Cheap Grace, easy-believism, Christianity Lite, a shallow, emotional, revivalist approach: ‘I believe in Jesus!’ Fine, you’re in. NO…The kingdom is for those who agonize to enter it, whose hearts are shattered over their sinfulness, who mourn in meekness, who hunger and thirst and long for God to change their lives.” -JM
4. The clarity of the gospel is at stake. Many in evangelicalism have pandered a watered down gospel that has no accountability, no requirements, no expectations of fruit, life-change, genuine repentance, transformation, etc. And we have been sold a bill of goods that says that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but Jesus didn’t say that! The gospel is that genuine believers count everything a loss for knowing him, sell the house and lands for the treasure in the field, bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, take up the cross, make a clean break with the world, lay down their lives, love their lives unto death, passionately pursue Christ and kill sin, and thus have faith that is not absent of works. Anything less than that is a non-saving, misrepresentation of the gospel. The gospel is not an ABC, raise your hand, genie in a lamp, self-esteem, easy-believism, go to church on Sunday, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, morality-based, man-centered, path of ease, riches, and pleasure. It is a hard road that is narrow and difficult which few will find, because most are unwilling to count the cost, or they have counted it, and are not willing.
C. Consistent (v. 21-23)
1. The servant keeps going back to get more people for the banquet at the Master’s instruction. And the servant is told to compel (beg, strongly urge, press, entreat, plead with) them. And not just those like the ones that rejected, but to all—the poor, lame, blind, outcasts, and possibly even Gentiles. Note that he goes to people who have nothing, and are utterly dependent.
2. Col 1:28,
3. Illustration: “…there is yet a way to be valiant for Christ in any culture: seek the marginalized, the disenfranchised, those no one cares about; then love them and touch them and be Christ to them…” see below, story about the person who went to the door multiple times, and finally got down on her knees on the doorstep and prayed, it pays off sometimes, talk about my dad,
4. There are points where we cease to cast our pearls before swine, but most of the time we are to continually preach, share, witness to the gospel. Paul did it regularly, Jesus preached to the Pharisees for three years, and countless saints have died preaching the gospel over and over to those who need to hear it. I have asked the deacons to invite two unchurched people a month. And this is way to low a bar. We should all be inviting half a dozen in a week’s time. And don’t tell me that you don’t know any, because Journey has found a couple hundred in five weeks. You must invite, invite, invite, witness, witness, and witness. People will know that it is not too good if you give up to easy. You don’t have to be ugly, harsh, unkind, or untactful, in fact, be the opposite, but don’t give up! And find those that are not like you. It’s a sad testimony that Sunday mornings is the most segregated hour in America in the week. This is not God’s desire. Fill up this house with all kinds, but they only come if you go find them, follow up with them, invite them, share with them.
D. Concerned (v. 24)
1. This concern from the servant is in the form of a warning. The warning is that those men invited will never come to my supper. It says, “those having been called” perfect passive. This would have imposed a shame upon these men in the community. The who culture was based on shame, and would have been concerned with vindication, community approval and things of that nature. Therefore the servant would be concerned for the ramifications that would come from this decision in the lives of those shut out in shame (for us it would be the lost and the kingdom). But there would be another concern: they would be concerned for themselves as the chosen. You see, they served the Master; they were chosen and benefitted from the Master’s kindness. But seeing what course of action the Master took with these, who were chosen as well, the servant knew full well the ramifications of those that refuse to carry out the Master’s desires.
2. 2 Cor 5:11, 14, Matt 7:21-23, 25:42, Ezekiel 3:18
3. Illustration: “give me Scotland, or else I die” – John Knox, “the world is my parish” –Wesley, “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for,” –Spurgeon,
4. We must know that all those bidden of the Lord Jesus to come and refuse will be damned to hell by their own decisions manifesting justice from a just and righteous God. There is no other way, no second-chances, no curve, and no mercy if you will not be born again. There will be a day when the Spirit of God has decided that the divine quota of warnings, convictions, and callings is fulfilled, and no more will follow. Therefore, we should be burdened for a lost city, culture, and nation, as well as untold billions among the other nations. And our concern should result in multi-faceted action. We should be trained to better witness. We should involve ourselves in community ministry or social organizations to meet those without a relationship to Jesus. We should engage our community with church planting, and rejoice when those churches outgrow us. Ensure that you are committed to Jesus’ kingdom, not our own. We should pray with passion for the lost. And we must consistently share a gospel witness. Want to know why we don’t grow? We don’t pray and we aren’t burdened and we don’t compel. And that should scare us! Those invited had many things to do, and surely intended to be about the Master’s business sometime…but the door was slammed shut at their refusal to come when called. And don’t think that God will not turn you away even though you think that you are OK. He knows your heart, and your behavior reveals it to the rest of us. But often you and we are too blind to see it. But there should be a holy devastating fear within of lukewarmness, of extended disobedience, of fence-straddling, of presumptuous sin, of apathy, of carelessness, and of feeling no conviction with you displease the Master. Be afraid if you having been called, and do not follow Him!
A. Closing illustration:
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• I fear that sometimes we in the West can feel a bit of self pity that we do not suffer as believers do in places like Saudi Arabia and China. Of course, too many of us relish our ease of life and pursue a prosperity gospel long on narcissism and short on sacrifice. We have a hard time changing the world for the gospel when we value the materialism of a lost culture in the church; they see no difference in our lifestyles, so they are indifferent to our message. But if Dionysius is right, there is yet a way to be valiant for Christ in any culture: seek the marginalized, the disenfranchised, those no one cares about; then love them and touch them and be Christ to them…But there may yet be another way in our time to demonstrate the radical nature of our faith and the mighty power of Christ in a culture not easily moved. I am referring to how believers respond in the West not to persecution, or even to the helpless, but to those times when we face personally face remarkable difficulty with a lasar beam focus on Jesus and His gospel. –Alvin Reid
Cheap Grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price, to buy which, the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship,
