Welcome to Ontario Community Church, where we are encouraging, equipping, and engaging lives for Christ.
! I'm Pastor Patrick Daly, and each week I share sermons that balance the grace and love of Jesus Christ with the truth of the Word of God.
Together, we'll explore Scripture using observation, interpretation, and application.
This helps us discover practical ways to live out our faith every single day.
Let's dive in together into God's Word.
Alright, well good morning everyone.
What a fun morning we've had so far with all the kiddos and all the energy.
You know, one of the great things I really appreciate just about our church family, our church community, us coming together,
is knowing that kids can run around and be kids.
You do not have to raise your hand when I say this, but I'm sure for a lot of us,
we've been in churches where if a kid runs around or screams a little too loud, they might want you out the door.
Let's be honest here.
But we have to be reminded of how important it is for children to come to know the Lord, even at a young age.
To learn the basic Bible stories, right?
Like the creation account, or Noah, and the flood.
Or even how, well, the Pharaoh, Moses, right?
The story of Joseph, and of course the story of Jesus Christ.
I'm reminded so much of how when Scripture says,
let the little children come to me, when Christ is saying that.
And even as we, as adults, we have our moments where we're like, ah, they're a little too loud.
But it's so important for us as a church community,
as the body of Christ, to let children be children,
but also to instruct them, to show them what it means to love Jesus.
Amen?
So I want us to go ahead and,
today's sermon is titled, There's Still Room.
And we had this activity here where we had the pitcher of water,
the bread basket, and all these different things that are going on.
And, you know, I got to tell you,
I was planning on doing this parable of the great banquet for a while.
Well, God's timing is better than my timing kind of thing.
So it wasn't, it was the hand of God that we were doing,
already planning the great banquet,
and tying this in with children is just a wonderful thing.
So go ahead and turn your Bibles to Luke, chapter 14, verses 12 through 24.
And as you're turning there,
you may turn to, it's on page 1038 in your ESVP Bible,
or you're welcome to use whatever Bible of choice,
the KJV, NIV, et cetera, et cetera.
We use the English Standard Version here.
And as you're turning there,
I'm going to go ahead and,
let's open in prayer,
and let's ask God to bless this time together,
that we will know Him, grow in Him,
and be moved to do good in His name.
Dear Lord and Heavenly Father,
we thank You for giving us this time
and this opportunity for us to gather together
to sing these wonderful songs,
lifting Your name on high,
for Your name is the name that is above all names.
We worship You, and we praise You,
and we thank You.
We are in awe and in wonder of who You are,
making the heavens and the earth,
knowing that the heavens declare Your glory,
and that You made each and every one of us
in Your image,
and You call each and every one of us
to this great feast,
to this great banquet,
is something that is extraordinary.
We thank You that we can open Your Word
and read it.
We can observe what's going on
within the pages of Scripture.
We can learn the lessons,
and also we can be moved
to live out this faith.
And Father, I pray,
if there is anyone that needs healing,
let there be healing.
If there's anyone that needs comfort
or understanding,
let it be done according to Your will.
Father, may we be reminded
that no matter where,
what our background is,
what our backstory is,
You call each and every one of us
to know You,
to believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ,
the way, the truth, and the life.
And upon that salvation,
receiving the free gift of salvation,
You call for us to grow in You,
to live it out every day
in our everyday world.
And so be with us this morning
as we go through this parable
of the great banquet.
It is in Jesus' name that we pray.
Can I get an amen?
Amen.
All right.
So are we all there?
All right.
The parable of the great banquet.
Kind of the thing to know is that
this is obviously right after
the parable of the wedding feast,
right?
Talking about humility.
And then we also look at
what's happening after,
which is also talking about
the cost of discipleship,
which is also going on about humility.
So that might have something to do
with what's going on here.
Right?
So the parable of the great banquet.
So starting at verse 12,
he also said to the man
who had invited him,
when you give a dinner
or a banquet,
do not invite your friends
or your brothers
or your relatives
or rich neighbors,
lest they also invite you in return
and you be repaid.
But when you give a feast,
invite who?
The poor.
Who else?
The crippled,
the lame,
and the blind.
And you will be blessed.
Why?
Because they cannot,
what?
Repay you.
For you will be repaid
at the resurrection of the just.
Then you go into verse 15 here.
When one of those
who reclined at table with him
heard these things,
he said to him,
Blessed is everyone
who will eat bread
in the kingdom of God.
It's kind of a random statement,
but it's a statement nonetheless.
Because Jesus is going to clarify this
in a second.
He said to him,
A man once gave a great banquet
and invited many.
And at the time for the banquet,
he sent his servant
to say to those
who had been invited,
Come,
for everything is now ready.
But they all alike
began to do what?
Make excuses.
They said to him,
one of them, right,
I've bought a field
and I must go out and see it.
Please have me excused.
And another said,
I bought what?
Five yokes of oxen, right?
And I go to examine them.
Please have me excused.
And another said,
What happened?
I married a wife
and therefore I cannot come.
So the servant came.
And I mean,
life happens, right?
So a little humor in there, right?
And the master of the house became,
or so the servant came
and reported these things
to his master.
And then the master of the house
became angry
and said to his servant,
Go out quickly
to the streets
and the lanes
of the city
and bring in who?
The poor,
the crippled,
the blind,
and the lame.
There's a pattern here.
We can see that.
And the servant said,
Sir,
what you commanded
has been done.
And there is what?
Still room.
And the master said
to the servant,
Go out to the highways
and hedges
and compel people
to come in
that my house
may be filled.
For I tell you,
none of those men
who were invited
shall taste my banquet.
Why?
Because they rejected
the invitation.
What a very interesting
parable.
Right?
When we're thinking about it,
we already had the parable
of the wedding feast,
right?
Where it's talking about
everyone who exalts himself
will be humble
and he who humbles himself
will be exalted.
We have what appears
to be a dinner scene
that's going on.
There's a man
that's inviting him
to this,
kind of this dinner party
that's going on.
There's a distinction here
between a dinner
and a great banquet
that we find later on
in the verses.
You see,
we live in this kind of world
where,
well,
how many of you
have taken someone out
for coffee before?
Or you had lunch together,
right?
We live in this culture
where it's very common,
you scratch my back,
I scratch your back,
right?
You buy me coffee,
eventually you're going to
buy me coffee,
kind of thing,
right?
That's the kind of world
that we live in.
But that's not what Christ
is talking about here
in this scene.
He's talking about something
that is far greater
than just buying coffee
or having lunch together.
I know some of us
may not have had breakfast,
so we might be hungry
when I'm mentioning food.
I apologize in advance here.
But it's so interesting
that one of the things
that we can see
when we are thinking
of parables,
when we're thinking
of how Jesus is talking
to the Jewish people
and their understanding
of the world,
it was very common
to talk about things
that were small
that gets magnified
into the larger,
from the lesser
to the larger.
That was very common.
And so what you see here
is a smaller dinner
compared to a great banquet.
And in here,
it's saying here,
Jesus attends the dinner party,
right?
He challenges the norm.
He's going from
that cultural meal,
having a meal together.
We all love
having meals together.
I sure hope that we do.
Or at least with people
that we like, right?
Especially our family.
We all love our families.
Amen?
Right?
Talking to a kingdom invitation, though.
So there's a difference
between the common dinner,
the common luncheon
in our own context,
or a common meeting up
for coffee
and a banquet.
So in this world,
we buy each other coffee.
But when it comes
to the kingdom of God,
there's still room
for everyone.
So when we think
of this table
that Amber had set up,
that's something that
we can initially see
right away within the text.
And this isn't the only time
that Jesus was using a banquet
to talk about the kingdom.
If you think of Matthew 22
and the wedding feast,
right?
Some rejected.
Then all was invited.
Right?
It's starting from something small
and it goes to something
much larger in scale.
When you think of Luke chapter 15,
the parable of the prodigal son,
where the father throws
a banquet for all,
even the unexpected.
You see a pattern
that happens within Scripture
because let us remember,
we look at the context
within what's going on
within the story,
within the pages of Scripture,
but we also look at
where else do we see
this in Scripture?
In Matthew 25,
when I did the message
on the parable
of the ten virgins,
there's the wedding feast
where the virgins
are waiting in anticipation
for the bridegroom
to come onto the scene
because there's a celebration
that's going to be happening.
And so,
what do we see here?
Jesus is saying,
don't invite people
who can repay you.
Instead,
invite the poor,
invite the crippled,
the lame,
and the blind.
Well,
we can think
even back then,
it doesn't take much
for us to think
that these are
the outcasts of society.
They weren't viewed upon
very favorably back then,
and sadly,
it still happens today.
Are there not people
in society
and in everyday living
that you just don't
want to deal with them?
You just don't.
They may not smell right.
They may not.
They may look funny.
They may be the outcasts
of society.
But yet here,
it's talking about
when it goes into
that parable,
when you give a feast,
invite everybody,
even the misfits,
even the outcasts
of society.
And perhaps you
have had moments
in your life
where you have felt
like you are an outcast.
Maybe there's something
that's unique about you
where you just don't fit
within the cultural norms
of society.
And so,
true hospitality
is when you're
giving to someone
without the expectation
of receiving
in return.
When we think about it,
we get in the habit of it.
I give you something,
you're going to give me
something back.
But the ability
to be able to give
without the expectation
of receiving
is something
that's far more powerful.
And that's what Jesus
is calling
here in the text.
And so,
we see in verses 14
and,
excuse me,
in 15 to 17,
a very interesting thing
that this guy is saying.
When one of them
reclined at the table,
he's saying,
blessed is everyone
who will eat bread
in the kingdom of God.
It's kind of like saying,
praise God.
Amen.
We're going to eat
at the feast in heaven.
So,
he's not saying something
that's wrong,
necessarily.
He's saying something
that needs to be
spoken to,
though.
So,
Christ wants to
elaborate a little bit
more on what exactly
is going on.
He's responding
with the story.
Yes,
that's true.
We praise God
for being able
to eat
in heaven,
so to speak.
But he's showing
the importance
of inviting people
to the banquet.
That there's something
that's much greater.
Is it possible
that this person
might have been,
well,
I'm in.
I'm already good to go.
I'm going to the banquet.
Well,
there is some debate
on that.
We can certainly
come to an easy
conclusion that Christ
is saying,
look,
that's great.
You're going to eat
bread in the kingdom,
but you've got to
invite people.
That's the lesson here.
And so,
we see in this parable
that many are invited.
We have three
rejections here.
Three of them.
Right?
We have the excuses
that are made.
One person bought
a field.
He's too busy.
Does this remind you
of the Good Samaritan?
Think about it,
right?
They're too busy
with their everyday
obligations that they
couldn't help someone
in need.
But here,
it's,
I'm too busy
to respond to an invitation.
I'm going to give you
an excuse because
I've got other things
to do.
One bought a field,
one bought an oxen,
and one got married.
The thing is,
it's not the reason,
it's the fact that
they're refusing to go.
Do you understand
the difference here?
There's a very big
difference,
right?
We all got reasons,
don't we?
But a refusal to
the banquet in this
context,
there's consequences
to that.
And so,
what Christ is saying
here,
yes,
praise God,
but are you going
to respond,
number one,
to the invitation?
And number two,
are you going to
extend that invitation
to other people?
Are you going to
make excuses?
Are you going to
show up?
And so,
when we think about
it,
the invitation
then widens,
and we see this
with many
different parables,
many different
things in Scripture.
I've mentioned,
what is it,
Daniel chapter 2,
verse 35,
the stone that
hits the big
statue,
and the statue
crumbles,
and the stone
goes into a
great mountain,
right?
That which is
small expands,
right?
Lesser going to
greater.
In this case,
we are seeing
salvation being
made available
to a select
few,
listen to me,
from a select
few to
everybody.
Does that
make sense,
church?
That's what
we're seeing
here.
The invitation
saying,
you know,
I'm going to
only invite
five people
here.
That's it.
They said,
no.
I'm still going
to have a party
going on here,
and I'm going
to invite everybody.
I'm going to
invite the
misfits.
I'm going to
invite the
lame and the
blind,
the crippled,
the poor.
So the
servant goes
out into the
highways,
into the
hedges,
and it's so
fascinating when
the master is
saying,
so that my
house will be
filled.
Well,
you got a lot
of room if
you're going to
invite everybody,
but it goes to
show the
abundance of
God's grace.
That's actually
what leads us
then into the
interpretation,
right?
We read the
text,
we look at
what's going
on initially,
we then go
on for our
own spiritual
walk and
our growth
in the
Lord.
What are
the lessons
that we
can learn?
Number one
is that God's
kingdom is
abundant grace.
Knowing that
Christ died
for the
ungodly,
as Romans
5,
6-8
mentions,
or even
Isaiah 55,
many of you
know that
verse,
come all
who are
thirsty,
right?
Without
money,
without
price.
The
invitation
is,
look,
you don't
have to
have money.
You don't
have to
be in
perfect
health.
You don't
have to
be married,
right?
The
invitation
is for
everyone
to respond
to the
call that
Christ has
for every
single one
of it.
And what
does that
response look
like?
Believing
in the
death,
burial,
and resurrection
of Jesus
Christ.
Making
that decision
to say
yes to
Christ,
that Christ
is what
you need,
is all
that you
need when
it comes
to eternal
salvation.
And consider
that when I
talk about
abundant
grace,
it's extended,
it doesn't
run out.
Now we know
there's time
that ends,
sure,
but we know
that,
well,
saying things
like,
well,
salvation's
only available
to an
exclusive group
of people,
a certain
demographic,
or a certain
culture,
or a certain
race.
No,
it is
available for
everyone.
The second
thing then
is,
well,
a little
more blunt
here,
don't make
excuses.
Respond.
Because Christ
is showing
the,
right at the
very end,
I tell you,
none of those
men who are
invited shall
taste my
banquet.
That's not
the easy
thing,
but it
is the
truth
nonetheless.
Maybe you
identify as
one of the
people who's
been making
excuses.
Knock it
off.
Respond.
Say yes
to the
invitation.
In Luke
chapter 8
verse 14
where there's
reference that's
talking about
being choked
up by
life's worries,
right?
Riches or
possessions.
Well,
there's a
famous saying,
you can't
take it with
you.
We have to
remember,
our soul
is what we
have to
consider.
That which
is eternal.
Philippians
chapter 3
verse 8
when the
apostle Paul
is saying,
I consider
everything a
loss compared
to knowing
Christ.
Knowing
Christ is
the greatest
treasure,
right?
Just like we
talked about
the pearl
of great
value or
the hidden
treasure that
we are to
seek Christ
with everything
that we
are in the
same way as
X marks the
spot and you
are to go
after that
treasure.
And so
in this,
ask yourself
that question,
are you making
excuses or are
you not?
Maybe you
identify and
say, you know
what, I have
been making
excuses.
I'm ready to
respond to
God's call in
receiving salvation
or even further,
I'm ready to
respond to God's
call for my
life.
Maybe you're
wrestling with
something that
you've been
wrestling with for
a while.
You know God's
calling you to do
something or to
stop doing
something.
And you say,
not yet, God.
Maybe you
identify with that.
Or if you
don't, maybe
you've had a
moment like
that.
I know I
have for
sure.
The third
thing then is
that God's
heart is for
all, even
what?
The misfits.
How many of
you watch that?
There's that
old Christmas
story.
You guys know
where I'm going
with this.
The island of
what?
The island of
misfits, right?
And the one
that always stuck
with my mind
all these years
ever since a
kid is the
train that had
the square
wheels, right?
And it's a
cute, if you
haven't watched
it, you should
watch it sometime,
right?
The island of
misfits where
they're the
cast outs of
society, right?
Nobody wants a
train that has
square wheels.
Are you kidding
me?
That's kind of
the attitude you
see in the
movie.
But in the
same way, for a
lot of us, we
may have felt
like we are on
the island of
misfits, as
it were.
Some of us
have had those
moments where,
you know, I
don't fit the
square hole.
Maybe I don't
fit that.
Maybe there's
something that's
different about
you or whatever.
We are all
different and
maybe you just
stick out.
And that's
okay.
Knowing the
fact that God's
invitation for
salvation is for
everyone, including
the misfits, is
remarkable.
Because I'm sure
that in our own
lives, many of us
have felt those
moments where we
felt isolated, where
we felt like we
just don't, we
don't know where
we fit in.
It's just like what
I've told you, and
I'll say it before,
and I'll say it
again.
Man will fail
you.
God will never
fail you, though.
And no matter
what hurt, or
what people say, or
what people do
against you that
has affected your
life, God
remains as the
constant, everlasting
to everlasting.
Our Lord remains
the same.
He does not
change.
We certainly
do.
And I'm
certainly glad I'm
not God.
Aren't you glad
you're not God?
I'm glad that God
forgives me of my
sins.
I'm glad that the
Lord loves me.
And he's still
offering that
invitation.
We think of how
often, how quickly
for us, we might
say, you know
what, I don't love
you anymore because
you did me dirty.
You did me wrong.
But to know that
God's love is much
greater, continuing
to extend that
invitation.
And even if you
are, well, living
in sin, as it
were, or you're
distant, or you're
in darkness, or
you're separated
from the presence
of God, you can
still come back
to him.
And that's what's
powerful.
No matter what you
have been through,
or what you are
going through, or
what people have
said, or what
people have done,
the invitation is
still there.
Let us remember, the
shepherd leaves the
ninety-nine for the
one.
Let us also
remember, it's a
Luke chapter five,
where Christ is
saying, I came not
for the healthy, but
for the sick.
And the idea of
that is, well, are
any of us actually
healthy?
But we think about
that.
That God is doing
so much for us to
respond.
This leads us, then,
into the application,
then.
Right?
We observe the text.
We look at what's
going on within the
context.
We look at the
connections.
We look at the
lessons we can have in
our own spiritual
walk.
And what do we do
about this?
And number one is to
remove the what,
church?
The obstacles or
the excuses.
Doesn't this remind
you of the parable of
the soils?
The four soils?
Some of the soils
had weeds.
Some of the soils
had other things in
it, rocks and stuff
that needed to be
removed.
Do you see how it's
connected here?
Remove those
obstacles.
Remember, the weeds
representing sin.
The obstacles, well,
in this case,
representing excuses.
Think about that.
Remove the obstacles
and remove the
excuses.
Right?
Hebrews 12, 1,
throw off everything
that hinders you.
Or Matthew 10, 39,
whoever finds his
life will lose it.
Whoever loses his
life will find it.
We know about that.
It's about surrender.
Remember, when we're
considering those other,
the cost of discipleship
and the parable of the
wedding feast, it's about
humility and recognizing
that Jesus Christ is what
you need.
You can't do it on your
own.
It's about recognizing who
Christ is.
So maybe you need to ask
yourself, what's keeping
you from the table that God
has set before you?
Only you can answer that.
I wish I could answer on
your behalf.
Maybe not.
But in any case, only you
can answer that.
The second thing, then, is
to accept the invitation
and what?
Respond.
Right?
Many of you know the
Revelation 3, 20, right?
Where it's, I stand at the
door and knock, and we see
so many pictures of Jesus
patiently knocking at the
door when we're realizing
that it's referencing
judgment that's about to
happen.
But it's still a good
thought nonetheless.
Right?
The imagery of the Lord
knocking at the door.
Are you going to open it?
That's fine.
That's consistent with how
we understand the Lord.
How is that any different
than an invitation?
We think about that.
Or in 2 Corinthians 6,
verse 2, that now is the
time for salvation, just
like we talked about last
week.
God gives us time, but not
forever.
And it's up for us to
respond, well, you better
do it now.
Better do it now, because you
don't know what tomorrow will
hold.
So in other words, don't
RSVP later for something that
is ready for you now.
And third and final, be a
servant who extends the
invitation.
What's so remarkable about
this parable is when it
talks about the servant,
right?
The servant that's
extending the invitation.
Now, some will argue that
this is a representation of
Christ.
That's fine.
In the same way that Christ
has extended the invitation to
many and then to all, we
should think about how we can
do that in our lives.
Who can we extend the
invitation to in our own
lives?
Start small and go big.
Think of your friends, your
relatives, those that you are
very close with.
And think of how God calls for
us to go out and to make
disciples, declaring the name of
Jesus Christ.
And let's not forget, we still
live in an everyday world where we
have to work, we have to go to
school.
Well, that's why it's important
for us when we consider being an
ambassador for Christ.
Thinking about what we say to
others and how we conduct
ourselves and what we do, all of
these things are important.
And so maybe you need to ask
yourself, how can I extend the
invitation through words and even
through actions?
Let us not forget Ephesians
chapter 2, verses 8.
Many of you know 8 through 9, for
by grace you are saved and not by
works, lest any man or lest anyone
boast.
Verse 10, don't forget that.
That we are created for good
works.
Not saved by what we do, we are
saved so that we can do.
Does that make sense?
Do we understand the difference
here?
Because that's, little word can
make a huge difference in that,
especially when it comes to
salvation.
And so, let us remember this
specific parable.
Think about the activity we just
did.
How awesome it was for us to go
through these kind of, what is
like a puzzle kind of thing,
right?
The invitation is still going
out.
And the idea is that let us
remember, if there's anything to
take away from today, is there is
still room.
Respond.
There is still room for you.
There is still room for your
friends and your family and those
that you know.
Let this be a call for them to
respond as well.
And so, the question is, will we
respond accordingly?
The table has been set.
There is an invitation for all of
us.
Let us respond to God's call for
salvation and God's specific call
for our lives.
Let's pray together.
Father, we thank you for this time
for us to gather together as the
body of Christ.
Father, I pray that we may all take
to heart the importance not only of
the great banquet that you have set,
but also may we appreciate the
importance of the invitation that
your Son has given to all of us.
Father, I pray that if anyone is
making an excuse or there's an
obstacle or whatever it is, that
they may have the tools or someone
to talk to or whatever it is to be
able to no longer have obstacles or
rocks or weeds for their soil, but
they will respond to you.
They will respond to your salvation.
Father, I pray that we as a church,
will grow in a healthy manner, much
like I pray, Father, that each and
every one of us will grow as an
individual.
And through growth, may we bear
fruit, may we extend the invitation,
and may we live out this faith in
what we say and what we do,
especially when we consider the world
that we live in.
And Father, I especially would like to
pray for those who attack the
misfits of society.
We know that your heart is for
everyone.
And we know as a culture, we tend to,
well, we have our own biases towards
people.
And you love each and every one of us,
even the misfits.
May we have a heart that reflects you,
balancing the grace and love that you
give us and the truth of your word.
We say all of this in the name of Jesus
Christ.
Amen.
Thank you for listening for this week's
message from Ontario Community Church.
I pray that you are encouraged and
strengthened in your walk with Christ.
For more sermons and resources,
visit OntarioCommunityChurch.org.
May God bless you as you live out his
grace and truth every single day.