Let's just take the words of that song into a short prayer together now.
Lord, we do ask that you would speak deeply and powerfully and in transformational ways
right into our hearts and lives this morning as we are here in your presence, as we open
your word.
May it be your voice that we hear and may you help us to respond.
Amen.
I can't say how relevant Alice's interview was to what we're actually going to be looking
at today as we continue in Luke chapter 14 where Jesus is round the table of the Pharisees.
Alice, I have to say there's just one tiny thing you said that I don't quite agree with.
You agreed, I agree with everything else apart from this one comment.
Did you notice it?
Alice started talking about the great foods and said that's not very spiritual, right?
Well, I'm going to try to persuade you today that food is a thoroughly spiritual thing because
for some reason what we're going to see is that Jesus in the gospel of Luke talks about
food all the time and is constantly at dinner tables.
And, you know, there's three times in the Bible where we hear the phrase, the son of man came,
right?
Once it's he came to seek and save those who were lost.
Once his own words were, the son of man came eating and drinking.
This is incredible that Jesus has got so much to say about food.
And before we read Luke 14, just a little bit of context about food.
I like food and I've been enjoying this week delving in a little bit more into why the Bible
has got so much to say about food and meals.
And I'm sure a lot of the verses will be familiar to you.
Sometimes references to food and meals are a reference to some of what God has to offer
us now.
And sometimes they are pictures of what God has in store for us in future.
And sometimes, and I think the passage in Luke 14 today is a little bit of a mix of the two.
Ben, my son, and I are trying to read through the book of Revelation at present.
It's a bit of a challenge.
I have to say, once we got by the bit about the letters to the churches,
and we got into the funny horses that are like humans,
and the dragons and the beasts and all the rest of it,
it gets a bit confusing.
But the one thing in Revelation that is marvellous and is understandable
are the references to food and meals, right?
So Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20,
Jesus speaking to the church at Laodicea says,
I'm standing and knocking, and I want to come in.
And what do I want to do?
I want to come in and have a meal with you.
Jesus says, I want to come into your lives and into your churches,
and I want to eat with you.
And then towards the end of Revelation,
as we have a picture of what heaven will be like,
what's it going to be like?
Again, we're told it's going to be like an incredible feast.
We're told it's going to be like a wedding,
and it's going to be like the marriage supper of the Lamb.
So food and feasting comes into the book of Revelation.
But as for Luke, it's just right through,
and we certainly won't go into all of the passages.
But again, just two references from the Gospels,
one where food is about the here and now,
and one where it's more about the future.
In two weeks' time, I hope you're looking forward to it.
In two weeks' time, we get on to that passage, Luke chapter 15.
The prodigal son, what happens?
What happens when the boy finally returns to his father,
when the father greets him,
and the father says, well, you know, I'm going to punish you now?
No.
The father says, now we are going to have the most incredible feast together.
And so again, food used to demonstrate what it's like to be in fellowship with God the father,
used as a picture of the greatness of being close to God now.
And then in terms of food as a picture for what's to come,
Matthew chapter 22 says this,
the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gives a wedding feast for his son.
So food's right through it.
And maybe you want to do a bit of a study of that.
And as we go through this today,
maybe we'll understand a little bit more about the significance
and the importance of food in our lives,
and maybe also food as part of our witness and part of our mission together.
But let's get stuck into this particular story together.
And what we'll do is we'll just break in, if it's okay, at verse 12,
even though our main passage for today is 15 through to verse 24.
So if you've got a Bible, either on paper or on an app,
then do please look to Luke chapter 14 and verse 12, and let's read it together.
Remember the context.
Jesus is having what it must be said is a pretty miserable meal at the Pharisee's house.
Pretty miserable because they've been judging him,
and they're watching absolutely everything he's doing and saying,
and they're waiting to trip him up.
Okay?
Not the sort of meal that Jesus is really into.
Certainly not the sort of meal that he has to offer.
But nonetheless, that's where he's at.
And he says this to his host in verse 12.
When you give a lunch or dinner, do not invite your friends,
your brothers or sisters, your relatives or your rich neighbours.
If you do, they may invite you back, and so you'll 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.
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus,
Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Jesus replied,
A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.
At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to those who had been invited.
Come, for everything is now ready.
But they all alike began to make excuses.
The first said,
I have just bought a field.
I must go and see it.
Please excuse me.
Another said,
I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out.
Please excuse me.
Still another said,
I have just got married, so I cannot come.
The servant came back and reported this to his master.
Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servants,
Get out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.
Sir, the servant said,
What you ordered has been done, but there is still room.
Then the master told his servant,
Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be full.
I tell you, not one of those who are invited will get a taste of my banquet.
The film and story Babette's Feast tells us about an 18th century Christian community in Denmark that had lost its way.
It had become incredibly dull, joyless, and legalistic.
Babette was a refugee from Paris who came to this town to live with two sons.
And for 12 years, she served as the housekeeper of those two sisters,
learning how to prepare their humble and very bland food.
Then, unexpectedly, out of the blue, after this 12 years,
she suddenly was told that she had won the sum of 10,000 francs.
Because unbeknown to her, a friend had renewed her lottery ticket in the Paris lottery every year.
Babette asked at that point if she could prepare a banquet for this somewhat miserable community.
And what she did after days of preparation was serve up course after course of the most exquisite food.
A visiting general exclaimed after a number of courses that he had only ever tasted food like that
at the famous Café Anglais in Paris.
As the meal unfolded and as they were served by Babette,
slowly but surely, the community rediscovers joy.
Feuds are ended.
Sin is confessed.
And the evening ends with the community hand in hand around the old village fountain singing the songs of faith.
Meanwhile, the two sisters find Babette in the chaos of the kitchen,
surrounded by dishes and the remnants of the meal.
And with a distant look in Babette's eyes, she says to them,
I was once a cook at the Café Anglais.
And they say, well, Babette, we will remember you when you go back to Paris.
But as the story unfolds, we realise Babette will never be returning to Paris.
She has spent absolutely everything that she had on this feast.
The lavish meal has brought transformation to that joyless community,
but cost her absolutely everything she had.
I think that story of Babette's feast may have some parallels for us
as we get into this story of the feast in Luke chapter 14.
Jesus tells us a story about the most extravagant feast that you might be able to imagine.
And as we get into it, there are just three key phrases in Luke 14
that I'd like us to really zone in on,
because I think these three key phrases might have something really important
to say to each of us and to speak into our hearts and lives this morning.
And the first is the invitation that was given.
And the phrase that you'll see in verse 17 is this.
So in this parable, it's described by Jesus as a great banquet
to which many, many guests are invited.
This is no half-hearted or meagre affair.
And you may notice if you look closely, it seems that two invitations were given.
Do you see that?
So verse 16, a man invited many guests.
Lots of people have invited.
And what would happen in this custom is following this initial invitation,
the person giving the banquet would have an idea as to how many were going to come.
Right?
So based on that, he would then know how many animals had to be slaughtered,
how many people were going to have to help him serve.
And for a number of days, all of the extensive preparation would be done
for this magnificent banquet based on those initial acceptances.
And then at verse 17, the banquet is ready.
And the second invitation goes out at that point.
All those who have been invited are then told by the servant,
come, for everything is now ready.
The meats have been cooked.
They're ready to be carved.
And now we'd like you to come to the feast.
Come, for everything is now ready.
Jesus wants us to see this story, I think, on so many different levels.
And one of the levels that I would want to really emphasize this morning
is this invitation that I believe we are given by Jesus,
each of us personally today,
to the feast that he has in store for us,
to the celebration that he wants to offer to us today
as he invites us into life with him,
as he invites us despite our past,
despite our inadequacies and inabilities,
despite the fact that we may well,
and it's good if we can,
identify with the poor,
the helpless, the blind, and the lame
who he's already spoken about.
And if we can hear him say to us,
come,
for everything
is now ready.
Jesus
is the one
who has done all the preparation
that is needed
and who is able to invite us
into his magnificent feast.
He is the one who can say
everything is now ready.
He is the one who will invite.
He is the one who has done all the preparation.
What has he done?
Well, as we speak about so much
in this church,
and rightly so,
he is the one
who has given of his life.
He is the one
who has suffered,
who has died,
who has paid the price for our sin,
who has risen again,
and now because of him,
and because of his grace,
and his generosity,
and his extravagant love,
can say to us,
come,
for everything is now ready.
And wouldn't you think,
given the nature of the feast
that Jesus is referring to,
that once this invitation goes out,
people would be running to it,
delighted,
that everything is now ready.
But we hear that they didn't.
And indeed,
it seems that three,
they were only given three of the reasons
why people didn't come,
and there were many excuses
and reasons given
as to why they didn't come.
I wonder if some of you
have found yourself puzzled
by some truly awful excuses
that you've heard
for why people are perhaps rejecting
one of your invitations.
And that can be hard,
it can be hurtful,
can't it,
if you feel that the reason
you're being given
really lacks credibility
as to why somebody
doesn't want to spend time with you.
I was supposed to meet Christian
this week for a coffee,
and I gave him what I think
he thought was a dreadful excuse.
It was a text message saying,
I'm really sorry, Christian,
I've just had a call
from my long-lost cousin
from Australia.
I've never met him before,
but he happens to be in town,
and he's asked to see me tomorrow.
Sorry, we can't meet.
Didn't sound very credible,
but I do have evidence
that there really was
a call from my long-lost cousin
from Australia.
I can absolutely promise you.
I wonder if some of us
have come up with
all sorts of excuses, though.
Excuses as to why
we might be avoiding
doing the things
that God would want us
to be doing.
Maybe some of us have found
the most remarkable excuses
to avoid attending
any events
in our week of prayer
this week.
But certainly,
let's just drill in
for a minute or two
to some of these
dreadful excuses
that Jesus gives
in this parable.
This first person,
sorry, I need to go
and see a field
that I've bought.
I don't think the field
was going to change
very much
in the course of the banquet,
was it?
And I think he probably
knew that field
and what it was like
before he'd accepted
that first invitation.
But he was so caught up
with this field
that he decided
he was going to
stare at a field
and miss the banquet.
And then the second one,
I'm sorry,
I've just gone
and bought some ox.
Ox?
Oxen?
I'm not sure which it is.
And I need to go
and oxen,
thank you.
And I need to go
and try them out.
Was that a matter of urgency?
And the third one,
I've got married
and I need to spend
some time with my wife.
Now when I spoke to my kids
about these three reasons,
they thought that last one
was quite a good one.
They've clearly heard
me feeling that
I have to decline things
on the basis that
no, no, no,
it's really time
that I spend a little bit
of time with my wife.
So maybe the third one
is a slightly better
reason than others.
But you know,
Jesus wants us to see
that all three
of these excuses
were simply
missing the point.
They were giving excuses
and they were rejecting
the invitation to come
and they were missing out
on so much.
They were focused
on what was there
right in front of their eyes
rather than what this,
rather than what was
really offered to them.
And thinking about that,
I was reminded of
one of the things
that C.S. Lewis
had to say
that I think
is very relevant.
He said this,
it would seem
that our Lord
finds our desires
not too strong
but too weak.
We are half-hearted creatures
fooling about
with drink
and sex
and ambition
when infinite joy
is offered to us.
We are like
an ignorant child
who wants to go on
making mud pies
in a slum
because he cannot
imagine
what is meant
by the offer
of a holiday
at the sea.
The trouble is
we are far
too easily
pleased.
Is that some of us?
Are we making
mud pies
in a slum
because we cannot
imagine
what is meant
by the offer
of a holiday
at the sea?
Are we caught up
with what are frankly
in the scheme of things
trivial,
somewhat pathetic
excuses
rather than giving
our wholehearted
devotion
to the one
who says
come
for everything
is now ready.
These people
whom Jesus
has to speak about
stand in sharp
contrast
to the disciples
who we have read
about earlier
in this gospel
for example
Levi or Matthew
in Luke chapter 5
there is his tax booth
working away
and Jesus
comes and says
Levi
come
everything is now ready
come
follow me
and Levi
gets up
leaves
everything
follows him
and then interestingly
immediately what does he do?
Goes on to throw
a huge big banquet
for the tax collectors
and sinners
but I'm keen
that today
we just pause
and we reflect
on this little phrase
come
for everything
is now
ready.
The invitation
has gone out
Jesus wants us
to join him
for a feast.
Don't get me wrong
I'm not suggesting
for a minute
it'll all be
one big long party.
there will be
fellowship
and celebration
there will also be
suffering
and pain
as we will see
as we go on
to read the rest
of Luke chapter 14.
There will be
great things
for us now
and there will be
the promise
of ultimately
participating
in that most
magnificent
of all feasts
that we've already
mentioned
in Revelation.
we would have
no greater joy
in this church
today
than to hear
that this day
some of you
have taken
the decision
to turn your eyes
away from the mud pies
in the slum
and to accept
the offer
of the holiday
at the sea.
And the challenge
here is that
the king does
eventually tire
of the excuses
that the servant
is coming back
and telling him
about.
The king does
eventually decide
that he's had
enough of those
excuses
and what's he
going to do
is not slam
the door
and just get on
with the feast
himself.
Absolutely not.
What he's going
to do is just
ensure that the
invitation goes
out all the
more widely
to more and
more and more
and more people
so that more
people have got
an opportunity
to attend.
And the second
little phrase
which I'd invite
us to focus
on and to
speak into our
hearts and
minds and
lives today
is this phrase
that we see
in verse 22
as the servant
has gone and
told some people
about it and
as they've responded
and as he speaks
again to his
master and he
says to his
master I've got
some in but
there is still
room.
There is still
room.
There is room
enough today
for those of
you who feel
that maybe
you've had so
many invitations
maybe you've
thrown up so
many excuses
or maybe
you've almost
taken steps
and you've
joined that
feast and
then you've
retreated and
you've got
back to those
mud pies if I
can continue to
use that
analogy.
I want you to
hear this
word from
verse 22 of
Luke chapter
14 and I
pray that it
might be
relevant to
your heart
and life
today which
is that there
is still room.
You are here
and there is
still a moment
of opportunity
for you to
say yes to
Jesus, to
trust him, to
rely on him
for all that he
has done and
to experience
the banquet
that he has
to offer.
But I wonder
if those of us
who are already
enjoying something
of this feast
can also take
these words,
these four
words, as a
powerful challenge
to the mission
that Jesus has
for all of his
followers today.
Because Jesus
wants us
to be the ones
who will go
out and will
spread the
message of the
availability of
this feast to
those far and
wide, those near
and those far.
He has not yet
returned, the
invitation stays
open and the
message that we
have to those
around us is
come, everything
is ready and
there is still
room for you.
I wonder how
we're getting on
going to the
streets, the
alleys, the
roads, the
hedges, the
country lanes.
Are we getting
next door to us?
Are we getting
into our workplace,
to our schools
and our colleges
and getting across
this message?
There is still
room.
I wonder if
as we pass
people who to
the best of our
knowledge may
not know
Jesus, may
not maybe even
realize that this
invitation to this
feast exists,
I wonder if
you could look
at them and
in your mind
you could think
there is still
room.
There is still
room.
Maybe God
wants me,
wants you,
wants us to
do something by
way of encouraging
them to accept
the invitation.
This chapter
is of Luke 14
is spoken about
in this book
that I've got to
recommend for you
today.
I don't know if
some of you have
read it, called
A Meal with
Jesus by a guy
called Tim Chester.
If you haven't
read it, I
thoroughly recommend
it.
You'll get it on
Amazon.
food.
And he speaks
about many of the
examples of food
in the ministry
of Jesus, but he
also speaks about
the many ways in
which his church
family have used
food to try to
reach out to
people of all
cultures and
backgrounds and
generations.
Food as a way in
which they can just
try to share life
and show love
and generosity.
And he says
this,
If you
routinely share
meals and you
have a passion
for Jesus, then
you'll be doing
mission.
Meals will create
natural opportunities
to share the
message of Jesus
in a context that
resonates powerfully
with what you're
saying.
Meals bring
mission into
the ordinary.
Most people live
in the ordinary
and will be reached
by ordinary people.
Alice sees what I
mean now about
meals and food
being thoroughly
spiritual.
Francis Schaeffer
says this,
Start personally
in your home.
I dare you,
I dare you in
the name of
Jesus, do what I
am going to
suggest.
Begin by opening
your home for
community.
There is no
place in God's
world where there
are no people who
will come and
share a home
as long as it
is a real
home.
Tim Chester
goes on to
say this, my
final quote from
him, we
Christians should
have a reputation
for throwing
the best parties.
He then lists
a lot of
helpful reasons
as to why we
might want to
find an excuse
for a party
and says this,
Parties of
course are not
enough.
They create a
great platform
for gospel
opportunities,
but must be
accompanied by
a passion for
people and a
passion for
Jesus.
You don't have
to give a
little sermon,
just be attentive
to people and
be open about
your faith.
Now I realise
that not
everybody feels
that they can
invite people
into their
homes, but
many of us
can.
And I wonder
if some of
us have
bought into
the notion
that our
homes are
our little
castles,
they're for
us and
their family
and they're
basically for
nobody else.
In which case
can I suggest
that that's a
thoroughly
unbiblical,
unchristian
concept and
it's not one
that Jesus
would encourage
or that we'll
find support
for in
scripture.
Rather the
intention is
that we use
all that we
have, including
our homes, as
part of our
pursuit of
Jesus and as
part of our
desire to be
involved in
mission for
his name.
And so as we
seek to say to
others there is
still room, we
ourselves model
generosity and
grace and
kindness in our
lives and in
what we do and
that includes
inviting people to
share a meal
with us in
our homes or
maybe outside
of our homes,
in that party
that you might
have in our
mind.
What would
happen folks
today if all
of us went
away and
thought I'm
going to
throw a
party?
Can you
imagine the
impact that we
could have
collectively for
Jesus and we
prayerfully think
this party is
going to be some
way of just
demonstrating to
others that
Jesus loves them,
that he is the
one who is
inviting them to
come and know
his feast,
that there is
still room and
I know that I
need to model
some of that
joyful generosity
in order to
reflect more
fully the Lord
whom I serve.
Maybe some of
us find that a
little bit scary,
well maybe join
up with somebody
else, maybe make
a plan, can I
encourage you,
let's take this
seriously, let's
take seriously the
way in which Jesus
did so much around
the dinner table and
let's think whether
we can do something,
of course that should
include fellowship with
one another but it
needs to go beyond
that as we seek to
reach out to others
as well.
There is so much
room and the heart
of Jesus is that
those whom we come
into contact with
might be those who
are next to join
this feast.
My final phrase and
with this I close,
it's there in verse
23 and it's the
phrase, my house
will be full.
Come for all things
are now ready,
there is still
room but ultimately
the reassurance,
the promise,
maybe the challenge
at the end of this
passage that the
master sets out
is to go to the
roads and country
lanes, compel them
to come in so that
my house will be
full.
I wouldn't want us
to finish today
thinking that our
work for Jesus is
totally dependent on
us.
It's not.
It's all about
Jesus.
It's all about what
he has done.
It's all about his
grace and goodness
and we can finish
today with absolute
confidence that he
knows what he's
doing, that this is
the moment when the
invitation still goes
out but that
ultimately the day
will come when his
house will be full.
The day will come
and it's described
throughout Revelation,
it's there in
Revelation 7 as a
great multitude that
no one could count
from every nation,
tribe, people and
language worshipping
before the throne
and before the Lamb
crying out salvation
belongs to our God
who sits on the
throne and to the
Lamb.
The party will be
amazing.
It will put Babette's
feast thoroughly into
the shade.
Jesus will be at the
centre of it.
He is the one who
gave everything so
that it could happen
in the first place.
For us, let's ensure
that we have responded
to Jesus' invitation.
Let's seek to invite as
many as we can to be
part of this feast and
let's seek in as many
ways possible to reflect
the attitude of the host
Christ in our own
lives.
Let's pray together.
Just as we close,
let's ask God to
speak to us and
think about whether
one of these phrases
is of particular
importance for us.
Come for everything
is now ready.
There is still
room.
my house
will
be full.
Lord Jesus,
thank you for your
grace.
Thank you for giving
your life
for us.
Help us
to follow you.
Help us
to be engaged
in mission
with you.
For your glory
we pray.
Amen.