The Great Banquet

THE GREAT BANQUET

- Read Luke 14:15-24

As we look at this passage of Scripture, we notice Jesus telling a parable about a man who prepared a large banquet. I mean, this man pulled out all the stops. He fixed things up nice. He had the caterers prepare the meal. His servants decorated the place. Everything was ready and prepared.

I. GOD HAS PREPARED A PLACE FOR YOU

My friends, I want you to know that God has prepared a banquet, a place for you.

> John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Did you hear that? Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you and I. Listen, this is no little old caterer we’re talking about preparing a place for us. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God! In John we are told that Jesus created all things. Jesus says in Matthew, that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. So, Jesus, the One with the power to create all things; Jesus, the One Who has been given all authority; Jesus, the One Who loves us enough to die for us, has gone to prepare a place for us. Let me tell you, when Jesus prepares a place for those Whom He loves and those who love Him, He doesn’t mess around.

Let’s think for a moment about the place Jesus has prepared for us.

1. Heaven is a place of no-more – Someone has called heaven the place of no more.

> Revelation 21:3-4

Heaven is a place of “no-more.” It is a place where there are no more tears. These verses tell us that God will wipe away the tears of His children.

Oh my friend, at the banquet Jesus has prepared for us, the tears of the lonely will be wiped away, because there they will find a “Friend who sticks closer than a brother”. At that banquet, the fatherless will have their tears wiped away by their heavenly Father. In Heaven, there will be no more death. Death will no longer separate us from the ones we love. Can you imagine never having to say goodbye again?

These verses tell us that in heaven there will be no more crying, no more pain and no more grief. Can you imagine? Forget headaches. Forget arthritis.

In heaven we will receive new bodies. Chuck will run with the children. Neil will dance with the young. No more. No more hunger. No more separation. No more disease.

Jesus will wipe away our tears of regret. How often do we look on the past and remember things we’ve done which we would have done differently? How often do we regret decisions and mistakes we’ve made? Oh my friend, our Lord will wipe away those tears of regret.

Heaven is a place of no more.

Heaven is also a place of reunion.

2. Heaven is a place of reunion

In Matthew 17, we are told that Jesus took 3 of His disciples up on a mountain. There they met Moses and Elijah. Even though the disciples had never met them before, they knew who both of them were. They recognized those who had gone to heaven before them.

In heaven we will know each other. We will recognize one another and we will see those who have gone before us.

Gladys doesn’t like it much when I talk about looking forward to going to heaven, because she often warns me I had better not go off and leave her. But I admit I sometimes feel torn like Paul. There is so much work to do here on earth, and so many friends I want to know Jesus that I hate leaving, but I do look forward to getting to heaven, and the older I get the more I look forward to it because I have more and more friends waiting there.

Think of the reunion we will have there. In heaven we will see the friends and loved ones who have gone before us. Don’t you know they are looking forward to showing us around the place? In heaven we will get to visit with Peter, James and John. In heaven we will see Moses, and Noah, Daniel, Isaiah, and David.

Don’t you know that Doug Reynolds will be standing there, wanting to show us around?

I remember when Dusty came home, after being stationed overseas for more than a year. We had missed him and when he got off the airplane, I grabbed him in a hug and together we did a dance in the airport. Can you imagine the dancing we’ll do in heaven at that reunion?

Heaven is a place of no more. Heaven is a place of reunion, and heaven is a place of worship.