Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:12-14
It’s easy to over estimate what we really need when we go on vacation. We wrestle with the thought, “I’d better take it, because I can’t go home.” So we pack more shoes, clothes, and electronic equipment than we need; we have to sit on our suitcases to close them! We pay the airlines for excess luggage. Our rental car won’t hold our all the suitcases so we require an upgrade. So what approach should we take? The real question is “How much can I get along without?”
Do you realize that vacation is only a microcosm of real life? We are guilty of accumulating too many possessions on our journey through life. We are tempted by ads that convince us to buy things we “just can’t live without.” This series is designed to help you understand that “Everything you do today matters forever,” as Bruce Wilkinson says.1
The God we serve is making arrangements to return to you the greatest “Lotto” winnings you could ever imagine. God is keeping an account of all you do for Him, and a day of reward is coming.
“For indeed your reward will be great in heaven.” Luke 6:23-NIV
We are impressed with a Nobel Peace Prize, the Heisman Trophy, or an Oscar. Do you realize that, like these awards, most of the rewards God has for us are being postponed until later? To be on the receiving end you must do it God’s way.
In preparing for this series, I’ve run across an old friend. His name - well, he has no name. No, I haven’t forgotten it; he’s only introduced as a Rich Young Ruler. His story is simple: Lots of wealth, one encounter with Jesus, and away he went, sad and broken hearted. His story has me thinking once again - if he was wealthy by Jesus’ standard…what am I? You see he couldn’t
· Purchase a second car, or a first for that matter
· Have a filling
· Fly to England
· Talk on the cell phone or email a friend
· He couldn’t relax and listen to CD.
Wow! If Jesus said he was rich, where do I stand with Jesus?
God wants you to understand and reap the rewards of Kingdom Economics, not American Economics. Jesus made it clear that God wants us to have our financial house in order.
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age…” 1 Timothy 6:17 NIV
Paul reminds us that we don’t have to take a vow of poverty, but a vow of generosity. He leaves the door open for us to be rich if we do it on God’s terms. What are those conditions? I’m glad you asked. There are three:
1. Be quick to share.
2. Use your assets for kingdom causes.
3. Give expecting a reward.
I love to preach and teach in a crowd: people taking notes, lives changed by anointed ministry, new converts hanging on each word, seasoned believers offering nods and shouts of support as familiar truths fall from the pastor’s lips. Take the same setting and include a meal and the dynamics change immediately.
Jesus loved to teach when food was involved: on a hillside with a lad’s small and simple lunch; at Mary and Martha’s house, worshipping and waiting for a wonderfully prepared meal. At end of the Savior’s life, no meal takes on more significance than the Last Supper. More spiritual truth was taught in that short dinner engagement than at any other meal. The disciples were nourished on truths of servanthood, leadership, loving one another, the Holy Spirit, and the future.
It was in the post resurrection days that Jesus brought the disciples together. And what did they do? Ate. He did the cooking. “Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.’” John 21:12
There will come a day, when you too will enjoy one of those settings with the Savior. We call it the Marriage Supper of the Lamb; Revelation 19:7-9 tells us about it. In eternity, all who have been saved will join for a celebrated meal that will last forever. No meal will compare. No food will taste so good. The hospitality will be incredible.
In today’s scripture, Luke 14, we find Jesus reclining at dinner. What is He doing? Serving generous helpings of scriptural lessons on, everything you do today matters forever.
Principles That Govern Kingdom Economics
1. Jesus always pays a dividend on your investment for the Kingdom of God. (Luke 14:13-14)
The setting is dinner. The guests have been jockying for the favored position for the last few minutes. As soon as society’s big wigs hit the room they start pushing for the favored seats next to the host. Like musical chairs, some get the seat they want as they sit with pride next to the seat of honor. Others sit next to the kitchen, sulking with disgust as they hang their head with disappointment. Jesus is watching the whole thing, and He uses it as a staging area to serve up some family-style wisdom about living for God.
As Eugene Peterson says in the Message Bible, “This is the great reversal.”
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11-NIV
Today’s approach at life says, “If you want to get ahead, you’ve got to promote yourself.” Jesus turns that self-promotion theory on its ear and says we should be content with the back seat; be happy with who you are and where you are. If God wants you in the front row He’ll put you there. And the joy and delight will be doubly sweet because you weren’t looking for it. Have you ever noticed how small you feel when you manipulate and promote yourself and God allows you to have center stage?
Now that the guests are seated and the small talk has kept everyone busy for a few minutes, Jesus turns to the host sitting in the “seat of honor.” He offers some advice for how to put your guest list together. Here is man of influence, his table filled with society’s rich and famous. This host is about to find that God is not impressed.
Who has not played up to people who can advance your career or open some door? Jesus tells us to lift up those who others have neglected and discarded. Go after the hurting, the disabled and neglected. And now comes the moral of the story: If you give to those who have nothing to offer in return, as you step into heaven God will reach into His vault of eternal treasures and reward you beyond anything you can imagine.
13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14
Do you realize what God is saying? He is looking for opportunities to repay you for your love and kindness on His behalf. The word repay is the Greek word, apodidomai. It comes from two words, apo meaning “back,” and didoma meaning “to give.” God is looking forward to paying you back for your service on His behalf, even down to offering a cup of water in His behalf.
This same word is used of the Good Samaratin. He took care of the beaten man and gave him over to the innkeeper with these instructions: “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I wll repay(apodidomai) you.” Luke 10:35
God is doing everything He can to help you understand that when you bless the Kingdom of God in your service or in your giving there will be a “payback.”
For years the death of C.S. Lewis on November 22, 1963 has been overshadowed by the assisination of President John F. Kennedy on that same day. While the anniversary of Lewis’ death seldom gets much press, throngs of people crowd into Arlington Memorial Cemetary to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier and climb the hill to Kennedy’s Eternal Flame.
My friend, even though our lives will be overshadowed by the rich and famous of this world, you need to know we are not living for this life. We living for a reward and home that will last forever.
Just a side note about C.S. Lewis’ life - he was converted to Christ as an adult. He immediately put his keen mind and imagination to work for the glory of God and produced the most famous Christian literary works of all time, The Screw Tape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia. His books still sell over 3 million copies a year, 40 years after his death. Even after becoming a well-known British writer, he continued to live a simple life. The requests poured in from all over the world to come and speak. He turned them down and lived a simple life, pouring ⅔ of his book royalties into Christian causes.2 God is looking for people who pour their God-given talents into the Kingdom of God.
2. Jesus’ reward is more than a charitable tip. (Luke 6:23)
Now, you need to know that God’s reward is much more than some type of a charitable tip. It is not a tip for good service -“Well, let’s leave 20% because that was pretty good service tonight.” The word God uses is for reward, for service and giving, and has more to do with a wage.
Look at Luke 6:23… “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your (misthos) wages are great in heaven.” The NIV says, “reward,” the word is really “wage.” Jesus uses the same word when He calls in the laborers and says, “Call the laborers and give them their (misthos) wage.” (Matthew 20:8)
Those who listened to Jesus knew exacly what He was referring to. When you labor on earth, your employer gives you a wage, not a tip. You are not working for a stipend. Jesus never described His reward and payback as a token appreciation, a little something extra. Jesus calls it a wage. This is not a company watch after 30 years of service. This is not Grandma putting a $10 bill in your birthday card. This is a wage, and you get it when you serve and give to God.
3. Jesus’ reward brings lasting satisfaction for eternity and immediate motivation for earthly living.
Go with me to one last verse: Hebrews 11:6. Let’s read it – “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
It’s a well-known verse packed with truth about deep water faith. For just a moment, let’s focus on the end of the verse. If you look up the word rewarder in the Greek, you’ll be amazed at what you discover. The word here is a combination of misthos-apodidomai. This is the only verse in the Bible that you’ll find it used to describe a person. God is the misthos-apodidomai -the rewarder who pays back your wages in return for service and giving.
Ding. Ding. Ding. You just hit the jack pot! You see, God is looking forward to paying back a wage for your service and giving because it is in His nature. God’s plan to reward, like His provision to save and to heal, is a display of His amazing grace.
Few know that Bill Gates was once a student at Harvard. He dropped out to give all of his attention to his new love: computers. His mother was a Regent at the University of Washington and was upset that her son had dropped out of school. She asked a family friend, respected by Bill in his own right, to talk to her son and pursuade him to go back to Harvard. The man agreed to have lunch with Bill.
During lunch, Bill laid out the case for personal computers and the urgency of the situation. Bill was so effective that not only did the friend fail to pursuade him to go back to school, but he wrote out a check for $25,000 to help start the new Microsoft Company. Many years after that lunch meeting the business man said, “The only mistake I made that day was not giving him every penny in my check book.”3
One instant earth, the next instant eternity. Are you ready? The Bible says that “Today is the day of salvation.” Author Anne Lamott tells about a 7-year-old girl who was lost in a big city. The girl frantically ran up and down several streets, looking for a familiar landmark. A policeman saw the girl, realized something was wrong, and offered to help. She got in the police car and he drove her through the nearby neighborhoods. Suddenly she pointed to a church and asked the policemen to let her out. She assured the officer, “This is my church, and I can always find my way home from here.”4
Today the good news of Christ’s provision for sin and offer of eternal life provides exactly what we need to get home. Today is the day your life could be changed forever. Receive Christ. Enter His forever family. Romans 10:9, tells us how, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10
Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior? Pray this prayer: Father, my search for meaning in life has now come to an end. I know that You alone offer me hope and meaning. I invite Jesus Christ to come into my heart and take control of my life. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and only through Jesus Christ’s death can I be reconciled to You, my Heavenly Father. I want to live my life for God in preparation for eternity. Thank You for welcoming me home, Father. Amen.
Welcome to the family of God
End Notes
(1)Bruce Wilkinson. A Life God Rewards, Multnomah Publishers, Sisters Oregon, 2002, pg. Pg. 1
(2)David McCasland. Our Daily Bread, 2003 RBC Ministries, Volume 48, Number 8, November 22.
(3)Illustration given to me by Jeff Mormeimeir who worked for years for Merrill Lynch. This is a common story that circulates among the financial industry.
(4)Vernon Grounds. Our Daily Bread, 2003 RBC Ministries, Volume 48, Number 8, November 22.
