Series: Things That Accompany Salvation
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Message 3: Let’s Go to Supper
(A Banquet Illustration Told at a Banquet)
Luke 14:15-24
INTRODUCTION:
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
• Jesus then told a parable about a great banquet.
• As He tells this, He is in the home of a Pharisee who is himself hosting a great banquet.
• Many pressed in, eager to get their early to grab the chief seats. (cf. 14:7-11)
• One of the diners expressed a blessing on everyone who would eat... in the kingdom.
• This person was assuming that he and the other people present would all be present in the kingdom.
• He seems to be a man that feels it necessary to say something religious at a religious occasion.
• There is not doubt that he was insincere. (cant)
• All that is necessary to confirm this is to look at the response that his statement elicited from Christ!
• These Pharisees have done nothing but oppose the work of Christ!
• Jesus took the opportunity to use the feast motif to explain that many of the people there would not be present in God’s kingdom.
• In their places would be many outcasts and Gentiles.—Bible Knowledge Commentary
I. The Identification of This Supper (16)
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
• Wiersbe tells us that the Jews looked forward to a day when Jehovah would set up His kingdom.
• They felt that in this kingdom, there would be a continual feast!
• The Patriarchs would be the honored guests, and all the Jews would be invited.
• The Rabbis added such ridiculous notions as that God would kill behemoth and leviathan and roast them for this great banquet!
• Indeed the Bible does refer to a great future feast:
Isaiah 25:6-9 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
• The New Testament refers to this as the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”
Revelation 19:5-9 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
II. The Invitations to This Supper (17-23)
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
• There had been a general invitation earlier.
• Not one had turned down the host.
• Now, a servant is sent as a courtesy to remind that all is ready!
• This is a picture of the call under Moses and the Prophets and now a call from the Son of God!
• Jesus story alludes the great universal call of the gospel to every man!
• If ever there were a doubt about God’s desire that man be saved, this text should erase it!
• We see this in both the Old and New Testaments!
• J.C. Ryle, the last of the great Anglican preachers, put it in these words:
Are men laboring and heavy laden? Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Are men thirsting? John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Are men poor and hungry? Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
“No man shall ever be able to say that he had no encouragement to seek salvation. That word of the Lord shall silence every objector ...” John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
• God ended the Bible with these words:
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
• Yet these men, began to ignore their commitment and to make excuses as do men today!
A. The Invitation to the Affluent (18-19)
• The invitation goes out to those who were at such a level economically that they could participate in the society of the day.
• It will be seen that they could buy and sell, could produce, could marry.
• Jesus invitation goes out to all.
• Yet Jesus Himself said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
• Perhaps these were not all that wealthy.
• Perhaps they had just a little taste of it and now sought it with all their heart.
• Perhaps it wasn’t even money at all.
• Maybe they were just preoccupied with life.
• Whatever the case, let us look at their response.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse.
1. The People
• In these people we see illustrated the distractions that keep men from Christ: Materialism, Business concerns and social concerns.
a. Real-Estate Ralph (18B)
18B The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
• It will be noted that none of the distractions from the supper are within themselves sinful.
• Yet look at the folly of one who would buy ground unseen.
• At any rate, the ground could just as easily be seen the next day.
• How many men focus on earthly wealth and collecting things?
• How many have no time for the gospel or the church?
Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
b. Farmer Frank (19)
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
• Here is a man intent upon his business concerns.
• Yet the folly of his answer can be seen in that he has purchased 10 oxen, sight unseen.
• I have known many farmers.
• My family farmed.
• But being a good person, contributing to the boy scouts and buying cookies from the girl scouts doesn’t make you a believer.
• We saw last week two weeks ago that of those who claim the Lord and serve the Lord, many are lost.
• What chance is there for those that will not even attend worship?
• And it matters not if you attended in years gone by.
• We saw last week where Jesus said that true believers continue in His Word!!!
• Farmer Frank is typical of many right here in our own community.
• We have a responsibility.
• It was the burden of Tom Perry to have a place of worship for the farmers in our area.
• How sad that this Farmer, who could have proven the oxen another day, chooses to prove them at the time of the great supper!
c. Henpecked Henry (20)
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
ILLUS: Maze Jackson’s deacon: “Preacher, that stuff might work at your house, but it don’t work at mine.” (Said as he showed his black eye).
• What wife would not consent to a few hours spent in the company of such an honored host?
• Yet here is man that will hide behind his wife, using her as an excuse for his failure to attend!
• Jesus is asking him to leave her for a few hours to honor a commitment!
• He is not asking him to divorce his wife!!!
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
2. The Principle
a. To the Jews
• Jesus rebukes them for their arrogant assumption that they can be part of God’s kingdom while ignoring God’s King (Jesus)!
• He tells them in no uncertain terms that these Jerusalem Pharisees, set in their ways, are ignoring His call to salvation!
• You will remember that Jesus chose not to secure His followers from the proud religious center in Jerusalem, rather He went to Galilee where the common people heard him gladly!
b. To the Gentiles
• There is a lesson here for the church age!
• Especially for the easy-believism gospel being preached tody.
• That lesson is this!
• God’s Spirit is not obligated to continue to invite you!
• You can sin away the day of God’s grace!
B. The Invitation to the Afflicted (21-22)
1. Their Affliction (21)
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
• We cannot fail to notice that it is the servant that does the inviting!
• These men were considered outcasts.
• They were (in the Pharisees’ mind) obviously cursed of God.
• Earlier in this same chapter, Jesus has just taught that we should invite those that could not repay us! (cf. vss. 12-14)
2. Their Answer (22)
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
• Many come, perhaps a majority.
• But not all.
• For the parable goes on the say that “yet there is room.”
C. The Invitation to the Avoided (23)
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
1. The People
• These would be the Gentiles, the outcasts from the social structure of the cities and towns.
• The Jews would carefully avoid them.
• We clearly saw that in Jesus account of the Good Samaritan.
• In the previous chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus had just told them:
Luke 13:28-30 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
ILLUS: We have seen this week that one of the major airlines has asked their employees to take a cut in pay to help keep the company solvent. The labor union in a typical brilliant move went on strike. The unions haven’t yet learned that companies aren’t going to put up with whiney employees anymore! If you won’t work hard for $18.00 per hour, there are millions in Mexico that will work hard all day for $10.00. So the airline is offering the temporary workers the jobs permanently! God offered salvation to the Jews. He offers it to you. But if you do not except, don’t think for a minute that God is wringing His hands in Heaven all worried about it! I counsel you to respond while you can!
2. The Purpose
• Why is this last group added?
• It is a stinging rebuke to these proud Pharisees at the banquet.
• Jesus had told them earlier in this chapter to invite such.
• Now, He tells them that these will be invited above them!
• NOTE: There is no response recorded.
ILLUS: Nicodemus. His answer is not given, for your answer is intended!
CONCLUSION:
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
ILLUS: What a shame to miss out on things. I would give anything to have a new opportunity to buy Ryan’s stock when it first came out in my home town! I missed that one. But to miss out on eternity! And to do so for trivial reasons! That is foolishness!
What are the Lessons we must take away from our text? (J.C. Ryle)
1. God has made gracious provision for the salvation of men’s souls!
• This is a great banquet.
• All things are ready.
• Christ has been born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, been resurrected and has ascended to the right hand of the Father.
• Truly, the table is spread!
2. God’s offer of salvation is a wide open invitation.
• He asks us to come.
• It is prepared.
• No man will face God with the accusation that you never asked me, you didn’t want me!
• The door is opened wide.
3. We learn that men often refuse gospel invitations.
• As in that day, so has it been in the history of the church.
• Men excuse themselves into Hell.
• They do not throw a fist in God’s face.
• They do not scorn the host.
• They just never get around to coming to Christ.
• What a shame that materialism, business matters, or social concerns can distract a man so that he ends up in Hell!
4. We learn that God is more interested in saving man than man is in being saved!
ILLUS: At a rescue attempt, no one is more interested in the effort that the victim. Yet men, lost in their sin, headed for Hell, ignore the rescue attempt.
• The order went out, “Compel them to come in.”
• We must be doing more.
• We must say to men, “I cannot sit, I will not, idly by and watch you ruin your life for time and damn your soul for eternity.”
• Let us snatch men as a brand from the burning!
♬ (Save Title) Throw out the lifeline!
In 1888, Edwin S. Ufford observed a life saving drill at Point Allerton, near Boston, Massachusetts. The scene so moved him that he wrote the words and music of a well-known hymn shortly after returning home.
Throw out the life line across the dark wave;
There is a brother whom someone should save;
Somebody’s brother! O who then will dare
To throw out the life line, his peril to share?
Throw out the life line with hand quick and strong:
Why do you tarry, why linger so long?
See! he is sinking; oh, hasten today
And out with the life boat! away, then away!
Throw out the life line to danger fraught men,
Sinking in anguish where you’ve never been;
Winds of temptation and billows of woe
Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow.
Soon will the season of rescue be o’er,
Soon will they drift to eternity’s shore;
Haste, then, my brother, no time for delay,
But throw out the life line and save them today.
This is the life line, oh, tempest tossed men;
Baffled by waves of temptation and sin;
Wild winds of passion, your strength cannot brave,
But Jesus is mighty, and Jesus can save.
Jesus is able! To you who are driv’n,
Farther and farther from God and from Heav’n;
Helpless and hopeless, o’erwhelmed by the wave;
We throw out the life line, ’tis “Jesus can save.”
This is the life line, oh, grasp it today!
See, you are recklessly drifting away;
Voices in warning, shout over the wave,
O grasp the strong life line, for Jesus can save.
Refrain
Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is drifting away;
Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is sinking today.
