Twenty-nine years ago tomorrow, January 10, there was quite a football game in Cincinnati, OH between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. This was the AFC Championship Game. The Bengals won that game as they defeated the Chargers 27-7. That, however, was not what is most remembered about that game. The nickname for that game was The Freezer Bowl. The reason it was given that name was because it was extremely cold. The air temperature got up to minus nine degrees with a wind-chill of minus thirty-seven degrees. There was a lot of commitment shown in that game – from both teams, just to show up and play! The week before the Chargers played in Miami where the temperature was a balmy eighty-eight degrees. Well, some would say those players had to play – it’s their job. What about in the stands? What about those fans that braved that weather to watch that championship game? They showed real commitment to the game. Some would differ and say they showed definite signs of insanity – especially those who took off their shirts!
Commitment is important in many areas of life besides sports. Commitment is important in marriage. Commitment is important in accomplishing a job or in having a successful career. Commitment is important in raising children.
As we come to our second message from this month’s series, Priority Check we are considering the Priority of Commitment. We saw last Sunday in our study of Luke 14:1-14 the importance of having Priorities for Others. PEOPLE (others) are to have a higher priority than TRADITIONS. OTHERS are also to have a higher priority than SELF. Jesus made these truths clear to His followers. Others are to have a real PRIORITY in life. He did not say OTHERS are our HIGHEST priority, for God is to be our HIGHEST priority. However, others are to have a high priority in our Priority Checklist in life.
You most likely did not attend the Freezer Bowl in Cincinnati January 10, 1982. It may very well be that your priority check list would not have attending any football game in any weather very high on the list of priorities in your life. But, what is on your Priority List of COMMITMENTS? Jesus expects His followers to have a priority of commitment.
You remember from last Sunday that Jesus had been invited to a meal on the Sabbath at the home of a one of the leaders of the Pharisees. At the meal He taught them the importance of HUMILITY. That has much to do with our priority of others. While some at the meal were trying to get the seats of higher prominence Jesus told them a parable to teach them to take the lower prominence seats. It is better to be asked to move up to a higher seat than to be asked to move to a lower one. Jesus also told the host the importance of inviting others to dine with him who could not repay them with a similar invitation. Jesus then said the reward for such an attitude would come at the resurrection of the righteous. Then we read in Luke 15:15ff what took place . . .
Luke 14:15-24
15 When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"
16 But He said to him, "A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many;
17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ’Come; for everything is ready now.’
18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ’I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’
19 "Another one said, ’I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’
20 "Another one said, ’I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’
21 "And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ’Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 "And the slave said, ’Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
23 "And the master said to the slave, ’Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.
24 ’For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’"
NASU
Those who were in the home of the Pharisee were no doubt quite confident that they would be at that great meal of the righteous in the Kingdom of God. Again they did not realize they had just eaten with the Son of God. How often do we miss a current blessing because we are looking too far ahead and not aware of the present?
Jesus teaches those who were using a wrong checklist for their lives. He tells another parable to point out how wrong priorities can rob us of a much higher priority. You see it is not simply a matter of having priorities – it a matter of having the RIGHT PRIORITIES. Remember this parable from Jesus about a man having a meal for others followed the man’s reference to another meal – eating bread in the Kingdom of God. With this parable Jesus teaches about the priority of commitment. When a person was invited to such a special meal an invitation would be made some time before the meal. The one invited would then respond with an agreement to attend the special meal. Then shortly before the meal another invitation would be made (kind of a reminder invitation) to let the invitee know it was time for the meal. They had previously made a commitment, but now their priorities are changed and these invited guests put other priorities above their previously accepted priority to be at that meal. These other priorities are not evil things, in fact they are important matters. But they reveal an inner problem in each of the individuals that reveal a lack of commitment.
I. A Misplaced Priority to Things
The first person Jesus told about gave an excuse why he would not b keeping his commitment to attend the meal he had earlier agreed to attend. His excuse showed his priority. He said he had bought property, land, and he needed to go look at it. Like many excuses, this excuse on the surface might sound okay – but when we study it a bit we find it has some big wholes in it! Hadn’t he already looked at this land? Did he buy it sight unseen? Did he simply want to admire his new possession? Couldn’t he go anytime after the meal to look at his new land. It was his he did not need an appointment to see it!
Do people today have a commitment to things in life? Do some people put things at the top of their priority list in life? It could be one thing – maybe a house, maybe an investment, maybe a prized car. Or maybe it could be many things or a combination of those things.
You remember the incident that took place in the early church recorded in Acts 5. We read about a couple, Ananias and Sapphira, who seemingly made a great commitment to the Lord’s church. They would have others think, and maybe their original intention was selling a certain piece of land and giving the proceeds to the church. However, that money they received moved up on their priority list and they gave only a portion and lied about what they were giving. Their misplaced priority and cover-up lie cost them their lives!
Are you allowing THINGS to be of higher priority in your life than your relationship with God? A quick check of your priority list – do you tithe to the Lord’s church? Do you have a greater desire to attain and maintain things than to grow in the Lord? Check your priority list!
II. A Misplaced Priority to Work
The second excuse came from a man who had bought five yoke of oxen and he would be changing his prior commitment to his newer commitment – to try out those oxen. The oxen would be used to work with. Perhaps this man was a farmer and wanted to see how these oxen would work on the farm. It might be that this man was a very hard worker and was admired by many because of his commitment to work. Even today people talk about those who have a good “work ethic.” There certainly is no great attainment in being lazy. The Bible tells us it is important to work.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
NASU
Work is to be a priority, but not our highest priority. It was not wrong that this man was a worker and wanted to see how these oxen would work – it was wrong that he was putting this work at a higher priority than it should have been at that time! Work is good, but work is not supreme. Some people today excuse their lack of following Christ or lack of serving Christ because they have moved work up high on the priority list of their lives. Time for a priority check!
1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
NASU
Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
NASU
Check your priority list! Is your commitment to the Lord higher than your commitment to THINGS and to WORK?
There is one more excuse maker or priority changer.
III. A Misplaced Priority to Family
The third man gives his excuse. He has married a wife and therefore I cannot come. Now he does not say why that would keep him from coming. But again he certainly knew about this before he accepted the earlier invitation. Why would Jesus put this excuse into the story? Is there any priority higher than family? Well, as a matter of fact there is! Remember these words of Jesus . . .
Matthew 10:37
37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."
NASU
Shouldn’t we love our family? Obviously. Remember last week we looked at the importance of giving others priority – even those not members of our family. Jesus is not teaching us not to love family, but He is saying to be careful with our priorities. Our love for Him, our Love for God is GREATER than even our love for family.
Some people excuse their lack of following Christ or lack of serving Him or His church with this seemingly solid excuse – “Family comes first.” Is that the right priority? Who comes FIRST?
Jesus made it clear that if those who were chosen did not keep their priority, if they did not answer the invitation. The host was to invite others any, and all who would come. Most of the Pharisees and many of the Jews rejected Jesus, but the Gospel invitation went to others – even to Gentiles, even to us. To all who would give Him HIGHEST PRIORITY in life.
The invitation is still made today! What is YOUR priority in life?
