• The pastor asked the man “What group are you associated with?”
• The man replied, “I belong to the invisible church.”
• The pastor then asked, “Well, what church are you a member of!”
• Again, he got the answer, “I belong to the invisible church!”
• Getting a bit suspicious, the pastor asked, “When does this invisible church meet and who pastors it?”
• The missionary then became incensed and said, “Well, your church here isn’t the true church. I belong to the invisible church!”
• The pastor replied, “Well, here’s some invisible money to help you minister to the invisible church!” (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 38). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The true church teaches a visible Christ who came to the earth to die for lost mankind in a HUMAN BODYL LIKE OURS.
How do we know Christ had a HUMAN BODY LIKE OURS.
(1) Because the Word of teaches that.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(2) Because He had human characteristics body like ours.
For example, look at Luke 14:1 “And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, THAT THEY WATCHED HIM.”
Why did they watch Him.
Verse 1 tells us why; they watched Him closely His every action and they listen to every word He spoke.
WHY DID HE GO THERE?
He went there for physical nourishment.
Remember the Son of God became flesh as we are, and the Bible says He went into the Chief Pharisees house “…To eat bread on the sabbath day…”
The Lord Jesus had a human body like ours.
Few will dispute that a man named Jesus Christ lived 2,000 years ago and that He was a great teacher who impacted the world.
However, Christ made a controversial claim—that He was the very Son of God, the long-prophesied Messiah—causing religious authorities in Jerusalem to reject Him, hate Him and eventually succeeded in having Him put to death.
The real uproar started when He stated that he existed before Abraham existed.
Look at John 8:58 “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM”.
• He was the Son of God He also had a human body like ours.
• One day we will have a heavenly body like His but while He was here on earth, He had a human body like ours.
When the Son of God was BORN, He was made flesh, and He had a human body like ours.
For example:
• He was born like us in Luke 2:7
• He grew up like us in Luke 2:40-52
• He grew tired like us in John 4:6
• He got thirsty like us in John 19:28
• He got hungry like us in Matthew 4:2
• He died like us in Luke 23:46
• He wept like us in Luke:3-4
Jesus had a physical body just like ours!!!
Jesus of Nazareth was truly and fully human and it was clear…
• To those who saw Him.
• To those heard Him.
• To those who touched Him.
• To those who shared their life with Him that he was HUMAN AS WE ARE.
And the reason he went into this house of this Chief Pharisee was because He was invited and because of the necessity for food that we humans need.
No one questioned his humanity during his ministry.
What was not apparent at first and revealed carefully and convincingly in his life after the resurrection, was that he also was God in the flesh.
WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO HAVE A HUMAN BODY LIKE OURS?
Let me share with you THREE IMPORTANT reasons. (You who take notes may want to jot these down.)
(1) Look at Galatians 4:4–5: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
He had to become a man because only a man could be “born under the law.”
No animal or angelic being is “under the law.”
Only a human being could redeem other human beings born under the same law.
(2) Another reason Jesus had to be fully human like us was because God had to establish the necessity of the shedding of blood for the remission of sins.
The blood of animals, although acceptable on a temporary basis as a foreshadowing of the blood of the perfect Godman, was insufficient for the permanent remission of sin because Hebrews 10-4 tells us “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”.
Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, sacrificed His human life and shed His human blood to cover the sins of all who would ever believe in Him.
If He were not human, this would have been impossible.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
(3) Another reasons it was important for Him to have a human body like ours was so that He could understand what it is like for us humans to live in a human body.
The Lord knows exactly how we feel in these human bodies.
Look at Hebrews 4:15, we read, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
He entered this house of the chief Pharisee was because He was HUMAN AND HE WAS HUNGRY.
For thirty-three years, He lived in the same kind of bodies we live in each day.
He knows:
• The pain we suffer in these human bodies
• The temptations we suffer in these human bodies
• The hunger we suffer in these human bodies
In this human body he went into the Pharisee’s house to eat bread.
But notice, while He was receiving this nourishment, the Bible says these Pharisees, “…they watched him.”
Some people will do all kinds of things to be watched:
Why do you think:
• Some of these fellows walk around with their britches about to fall off. Why? It is the only way they can get attention. Since they cannot get good attention, they figure bad attention is better than no attention.
• Some of women dress seductively. Because it is the only way some women can get some attention.
People like being watched!!!
None of us like being ignored!!!
HOWEVER, ALL OF US WOULD BE surprised HOW MUCH WE ARE BEING WATCHED FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER EACH DAY.
Did you know we are being watched every day, whether we like it or not.
(1) The U.S. has the largest number of surveillance cameras per person in the world.
Cameras are omnipresent in the city the streets hotels, restaurants, malls and offices.
(2) And then there are smart doorbells and other home security cameras watching us.
(3) Those who have computers are being watched online tracking people what websites they are visiting.
(4) Those who have smart phones are being used to tracked people where they visit and shop.
We do not have any privacy!!!
Illus: One of the reasons that the United States have an advantage over other nations is because they are equipped with night vision. And they can see as well in darkness as the can in day light.
It’s hard to imagine the military without night vision technology, those goggles and scopes that make the blackest landscapes turn to light.
But God has always been able to see in darkness as well as light.
While we are conscious today, we are being watched, and many forget that GOD WATCHES US EVERYDAY TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY.
• Proverbs 15:3 - The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
• Psa 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
How else could God judge us on the Judgment Day if He did not watch us twenty-four hours a day.
In our text we see that the LORD was being watched by LAWYERS AND THE PHARISEES.
But while the Lord entered this house, he saw a very sick man.
Look at verses 2-6, we read, “And behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things.”
This man had the disease called the DROPSY. Today this same disease is called Bright’s disease.
WHAT KIND OF DISEASE IS THIS?
It is an abnormal accumulation of serious amount of fluid in the body.
This man most likely was very swollen, and it was obvious that this was his condition when the Lord saw him.
Before the Lord healed him, He asked the lawyers and Pharisees a question in verse 3, “IS IT LAWFUL TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH DAY?”
The Bible says these Lawyers and Pharisees, “AND THEY HELD THEIR PEACE.”
• They had already made fools of themselves, and they decided it was time to go silence!!!
• But the Lord was not going to allow them to go silent!!!
So the Lord asked them another sensible question in verse 5, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they did not answer that simple question also.
• WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE?
These are the intellects of this day!!!
Let me tell you exactly what is wrong with them?
They listened to him, not because they were seeking the truth, but to gather ammunition to later destroy Him!
They watched the Lord when He entered and performed this healing, and both times He asked them questions they would not answer Him.
But their silence caused Him to tell a parable of a FEAST.
Look at -
I. THE SITUATION
We have already been able to see in this passage of scripture THEY WATCHED HIM, but now the table turns on them and He is going to WATCH THEM.
You can learn a lot about people just simply watching them how they conduct their lives under certain situations.
Illus: A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
• Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake; I can wait.”
• Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!” (Source unknown)
Illus: There’s a story told about a little boy and his sister who were riding a rocking horse together.
• As you can imagine, it was a little crowded on that rocking horse with the two of them on it.
• After a few minutes rocking like that, the little boy said, “If one of us would get off this rocking horse, there would be more room for me!”
We have always been able to find selfishness in children and adults.
But as bad as a spoiled child may be, there’s something far worse, and that is a spoiled adult,
We find it throughout the scriptures some very spoiled rotten selfish individuals that God was displeased with.
(1) WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE OF KING AHAB
Ahab is like many of us in that he wanted something he couldn’t have.
Look at vs. 1-2, “Sometime later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."
Now this must have been a beautiful vineyard, and it was right next to the summer home of Ahab, only problem was is that it wasn’t his.
But hey, that’s really no problem, because Ahab was a powerful man, and Ahab always got what Ahab wanted.
Ahab was used to just snapping his fingers, and people running to answer his request.
So, imagine the horror on Ahab’s face when Naboth says…” No, you can’t have it!”
In fact, Naboth goes further, look at vs. 3, “But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."
Naboth’s actions were not prompted by monetary considerations, but by biblical principles.
For example, when God gave the land of Canaan to Israel, He divided it among the tribes of Israel
God set down some very specific laws in Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-34 and Deuteronomy 25:5-10. These laws prevented the land from permanently changing hands, outside the family or tribe to which it was allotted.
Because of these laws, Naboth knew that he could not sell or trade his land. It was not just that Naboth was being unreasonable; this was something he could not do, according to the law, and thus it was something he would not do, even if the king made him a deal that was tempting.
Let’s give Naboth a lot of credit here, not only is he refusing a tempting offer, but remember this is an offer from a ruthless tyrannical dictator.
Yet Naboth wasn’t about to budge because Naboth was a man driven by Principles. You see, no matter how tempting the offer was, Naboth had to refuse because God said so.
And Naboth had made up in his mind that he would be obedient to God’s law, and everything else would come 2nd.
You know, I wish I could say we were all like that, but the truth be told, it doesn’t take much for us to waiver on our convictions and our principles, especially if it is beneficial to us.
You would be surprise the men and women for the almighty dollar will forget they are a child of God and do the same thing a child of devil will do.
Illus: Wayne Smith talked about a man who was applying for special insurance, and the insurance agent asked him,
• "How old is your mother?" He said, "She’s dead."
• "How old was she when she died?" "She was forty-one."
• "What did she die of?" "Tuberculosis."
• "How old is your father?" "He’s dead."
• "How old was he when he died?"
• "Forty-three."
• "What did he die of?" "Heart attack."
The agent tore up the form and said, "You’re a terrible risk! There’s no way you can get this special insurance; your heredity is not good."
• So, the man went to another agent, and the agent asked the same questions:
• "How old is your father?" "He’s dead."
• "How old was he when he died?" "Ninety-four."
• "What did he die of?" "He fell off a horse, playing polo."
• The agent said, "How old is your mother?" "She’s dead."
• "How old was she when she died?" "Ninety-one."
• "What did she die of?” "Childbirth."
What wouldn’t we sacrifice just for something as small as a discount…but what if it was more?
Would you still keep your integrity for let’s say…10 million dollars?
Illus: In his book, When God Whispers Your Name, Max Lucado tells the story of a hypothetical game show.
In this show, you are on stage, and the spotlight is on you.
He writes, “It can be yours. It can be all yours. The choice is up to you. The only question you have to answer is, ‘What is your price?’”
Applause rings again, the band plays, and you swallow hard.
Behind you a second curtain opens, revealing a large placard. “What are you willing to give?” is written on the top.
The host explains the rules. “All you have to do is agree to one condition and you will receive the money.” “Ten million dollars!” you whisper to yourself. Not one million or two, but ten million. No small sum. Nice nest egg. Ten million bucks would go a long way, right? Tuition paid off. Retirement guaranteed. Would open a few doors on a few cars or a new house (or several).
You could be quite the benefactor with such a sum. Help a few orphanages. Feed a few nations. Build some church buildings. Suddenly you understand: This is the opportunity of a lifetime. “Take your pick. Just choose one option and the money is yours.”
A deep voice from another microphone begins reading the list.
• “Put your children up for adoption.”
• “Become a prostitute for a week.”
• “Give up your American citizenship.”
• “Abandon your church.”
• “Abandon your family.”
• “Kill a stranger.”
• “Have a sex-change operation.”
• “Leave your spouse.”
• “Change your race.”
“That’s the list,” the host proclaims. “Now make your choice.” Now what would you pick? The sad thing is, is that most people would pick something. In a national survey that asked the same question, many said what they would do.
• Seven percent of those who answered would murder for the money.
• Six percent would change their race.
• Four percent would change their sex.
• If money is the gauge of the heart, then this study revealed that money is on the heart of most Americans. In exchange for ten million dollars:
• 25 percent would abandon their family.
• 25 percent would abandon their church.
• 23 percent would become a prostitute for a week.
• 16 percent would give up their American citizenship.
• 16 percent would leave their spouse.
.13 percent would put their children up for adoption.
Even more revealing than what Americans would do for ten million dollars is that most would do something.
Hell is going to filled with selfish people.
Ahab is a picture of selfishness! His selfishness led to the death of a godly man.
Another picture of selfishness…
(2) The life of Ananias and Saphira
In Acts 4 we have a group of godly men and women unselfishly gave to help others.
Ananias saw where the believers in Acts 4 were doing all kinds of good things to take care of the needs of others and a great deal of attention was focus on their good deeds.
But a selfish person cannot stand not having the attention focus on them.
In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira decided they wanted that attention to be directed on them.
So, they conspired together to sell a piece of property take the money, give some of it to the apostles and hold the rest back.
But they decided that they would lie and say they gave it all.
Notice something in this passage. It says they kept part of the money back for themselves.
Peter confronts them and states you haven’t lied to men but to God. Ananias drops dead. Three hours later his wife is confronted, and she dies too.
We have this example in Acts chapter five that God is displease with a life of selfishness.
And the Lord saw in this parable.
Look at verse 7, we read, “And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden (Invited),”
The scene here is a very formal banquet it seems. But the tables did not have “Place Cards” telling people where to sit. They could choose to sit wherever they wanted to sit.
It is because of this CHOICE where to set that the Lord tells us this parable WHY HE WATCHED THEM.
One of the ways to learn about people is to WATCH them how they conduct themselves in different situations.
Evidently, when the dinner bell rang, everyone made every effort to get the best seat in the house.
You can learn a lot about watching people.
When it comes to food some people cease to be humans, and they become pigs headed for the best place at the trough.
Illus: You can tell a great deal about people outside of church. That is, if you observe them, you can learn a great deal about them:
. The way they drive on the highways
• The way they treat a waitress
• The way they treat a cashier
• The way they conduct business
• The way they use offensive language
. The way they treat the elderly
Sometime people are angels in church, but they are demons in the world in which they live.
They watched Him and now He is WATCHING THEM pushing and shoving for the best seat at the feast.
Evidently the Lord saw something in this crowd that He was not very pleased with, about the way they were conducting themselves.
As they were pushing and shoving for the best seat in the house, the Lord said this to them, verses 7b - 11, “…when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
• The Word of God teaches us that we are to treat others the way we would like them to treat us
• But also, the Word of God teaches that what we SOW we shall also REAP!
Illus: Did you hear about a rat that looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package to see what food it might contain?
He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the rat proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!"
• The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
• The rat turned to the pig and told him, "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!" "I am so very sorry Mr. Rat," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers."
• The rat then went to see the cow and told the cow of the rat trap in the house. The cow said, “Mr. Rat, I am so sorry, but I have so much to do I do not have time to be concerned about your problems.”
So, the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's rat trap alone.
That very night, a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was an enormous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.
• The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
• His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
• The farmer's wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral, that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
• So, the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem, and you think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.
These who were rushing for the best seat could care less about anyone but themselves.
We have looked at THE SITUATION, but let us look at –
II. THE SHAME
In this parable reveals some things about the guest, not necessarily about the host.
WHAT DOES IT TELL US ABOUT THE GUEST?
Illus: Some churches are known for QUARELLINGS.
Only God knows most of the problems in many churches is because WHO IS GOING TO BE NUMBER ONE!!!
So often in this life, those who have forcefully pushed and shoved their way at the top are in the key positions in this life.
They have shoved and pushed themselves into the SPOTLIGHT OF ATTENTION!
• One day when we get to heaven, we are going to be surprised because the folks who are now at the end shall be at the front of the line
• And those who are now at the front shall be at the end of the line
Selfishness makes us hostile to others and alienates us from God.
Look at verses 12-14 in this parable, we read, “Then said he also to him that bade (invited) him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
The Lord is telling these guests not to make a mad dash for the best seat in the house, without consideration of others.
Generally people who are humble do not feel any need to demand attention.
Illus: On his way to a reception in his honor, Ulysses S. Grant got caught in a rainstorm. He shared his umbrella with a stranger going to the same reception, a stranger who did not recognize Grant. "I have never seen Grant," he said, "but I have always thought that he was a very much overrated man." "That's my view, also," said Grant. (Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).
Great men do have to strut their stuff, they are humble servants of God.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells when he was a young minister he had heard that Dr. John R. Rice was going to speak at one of the mega churches about a hundred miles from where he lived. He told his wife he would like to go and hear him. He knew he was a great author of many books and he thought it might help him as a young minister to hear him. He got in his little volswagen and drove a hundred miles to hear him. When he arrived it was a big church and literally hundreds of cars filled the parking lot to hear Dr. Rice.
He walked into the entrance of the church and a man met him and told him that he had arrived to early and said see that big building about a 75 to a 100 yard? He told him he saw it. The man said everyone was having supper and suggested he go there and have some.
He walked into this large building and there was several thousand people there. He did not know anyone so he got him a plate full of food and walked over the furthest corner and set there by himself.
After he was seated an elderly couple walked over to where he was and said, “Young man, do you mind if we set with you and eat our supper?”
He told him that would be fine!
This old man began to ask me some questions about myself.
He told him where he was from and that he had come a hundred miles to hear Dr. Rice.
The old man seem impressed that he had come so far to hear him.
He said, You have never heard Dr. Rice before, and he said, “No, I have heard a lot about him and I wanted to hear him.”
After a brief meal he told this elderly couple, “Excuse me, I want to get a front seat and he excused himself.”
Service started and they introduce Dr. Rice and it was the same old man that he had supper with that evening!”
Dr. Rice walked to the podium and saw him on the front seat and winked at him!
• We have to many proud Christians today!
• We have to many that is shoving for the best seat in the house!
• We have to many today who want to be in the spot light of attention!
• We have to many the best positions of leadership in the church.
God is WATCHING for those who are humble servants of His.
Illus: Elon Musk is the richest man in the world but you would never know that by the way he dress, acts and conduct himself.
But the proud will not leave anything to chance, they will push and shove and do whatever it takes to get to the top.
Illus: Many churches dread that time of the church when they elect church officers. Why? Because you will be surprise how many folks will leave the church if they do not get a position of leadership in the church they wanted.
But the Lord sees those who are pushing and shoving to be in the spot light of attention for the wrong reason.
But this church is blessed to have dedicated Christians who serve because they love the Lord.
And when it is time to choose new officers and teacher they are willing to step aside and give someone else a chance to serve the Lord in those positions.
Conclusion:
Notice, in this passage of scripture they WATCHED HIM AND HE WATCHED THEM.
He is watching us each day…WHAT DOES HE SEE!
Illus: We use to sing a song as children, that stated:
• Be careful little hands what you do, because there is a Father up above that sees what you do.
• Be careful little feet where we go, because there is a Father up above that sees what you do.
• Be careful little eyes what you see, because there is a Father up above that sees what you do.
That little song taught us as children there is a Father up above that is watching us.
In this parable the Lord is teaching us the same thing.
We have looked at…
I. THE SITUATION
II. THE SHAME
