Thank you so much, Richard, for sharing that.
I love that song.
If you have your Bibles, turn to Luke chapter 14.
Luke chapter 14, and some of y'all are going to look at the
title of my sermon and say, preacher, that's inappropriate.
I figure there's pools of people planning on meeting after the
service to talk about the radical preacher.
And if you think that, I have to say to you, what kind of party
have you been going to?
Apparently, you ain't partying appropriately.
That's what it sounds like to me.
Because Jesus did go to weddings, and Jesus did go to dinner
parties on several occasions, and we have some of those in
Scripture.
And in our passage this morning, Jesus was invited to eat at a
main Pharisee's house, and the whole crowd had their eye on him,
watching him to see what he would do.
And upon arriving, there was a man with dropsy.
That is an old-time word for bad edema.
It's the kind of swelling that congestive heart failure can cause.
And he was dealing with that, and Jesus healed him.
And then asked, is it all right that I do that since it's the
Lord's day?
And healing is considered work.
Do you help somebody out if you can on the day of rest, or do you let it go
until another day?
That was the dilemma here.
Jesus helped the man.
That was his decision, and that was controversial.
Some didn't like that.
By the way, somebody's not going to like it when you go out of your way to
help somebody else in the name of Christ.
Somebody's not going to like it.
And that didn't stop Christ, and that shouldn't stop you.
God opens a door, and he leads you to do it.
You do it.
Let it fall where it may.
But I'll tell you what happened with this.
It set the mood of the party, and Jesus, as only he can do, takes advantage of the opportunity
and teaches us and them how to party like him and how to party for him.
Luke chapter 14, beginning in verse 7, and I'm not going to read all this passage right now.
I'm going to read it as we go along, because it's a lot to digest.
It says in verse 7, it says this.
Now he told a parable to those who were invited.
When he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,
When you're invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor.
Let someone more distinguished than you be invited by him.
And he who has invited you both will come and say to you,
Give your place to this person.
And then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place,
so that when your host comes, he may say to you,
Friend, move up higher.
Then you'll be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
First rule of party is enter humbly.
Wherever you're going, whatever gathering you're in,
every kind of party you frequent, you enter humbly.
Because it's not about me, and it's not about you, it's about him.
And you say, well, preacher, what are we talking about?
Are we talking about church?
No, no, no, I'm talking about life.
I mean, if you have surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ
and committed your life to Christ, your life is about him.
It's not about me.
It's not about you.
It's about him.
So wherever we venture and whatever we go into,
we ought to enter it humbly.
His example to us was to take the lowest place of the servants.
He was washing feet.
And then he was telling folks, do as I do.
In other words, take the lowest spot.
Do what needs to be done to minister to folks.
For years, I attended a football banquet,
a high school football banquet,
because I was the PA announcer,
and I was also the chaplain.
So I saw those guys right when school was over,
and I spoke to them and used some scripture,
some Old Testament battle scene to tell them to go win the fight
and give their heart to Jesus while they're killing the man next to them.
Then we'd eat a meal together,
and then I'd try my best to influence and still follow the rules from the box, the booth.
And I'm trying to do the same thing now for the Pickens Blue Flame.
And every year, they'd have me, they asked me to go to the banquet,
and every year they'd put me at the head table,
but they didn't have the spots marked.
And so there were several wives, I mean, excuse me,
there were several coaches that would sit,
all the coaches would sit at the head table.
Many of them had their wives there, and their wives would sit at that,
and there were a select number of seats.
And you could tell when you walked in the room that it was a select number of seats.
I came alone to those things.
I was not sure where I was to sit.
So I did not go to the head table.
I just sat down.
Just found a spot and sat down.
Someone would come, and I'd say,
what are you doing sitting out here?
You need to sit up there at the head table.
And I'd get up and go to the head table and sit at the head table.
The next year, they'd invite me back.
I'd come back.
I'd walk in the room.
I'd see the head table there.
I also served on the school board during this time as well.
So they invited board members to come.
And so I'd sit down just somewhere out here.
I didn't really care to sit up there, honestly.
The reason they had me up there was not because I was a chaplain,
not because I was there,
because they wanted me to pray so they could eat.
That was what it didn't amount to.
But I'd find somewhere else to sit.
And then somebody would come and say,
Preacher, what are you doing sitting out there?
You need to sit up here.
You need to come up here.
And year after year after year, I never sat down at that head table.
One time after they moved me up there,
another school board member came in and sat down beside me.
And I was thinking, you done messed up.
You ain't read your Bible.
Because everybody knows football coaches don't like the board.
They're not going to invite the school board, you know.
It's not going to sit at the head table.
And sure enough, when they came up,
they didn't have to tell him.
He figured out.
He said, what are you doing up here?
I said, I'm praying for the meal.
He said, oh.
And he got up and left.
And went and sat somewhere else, you know.
I didn't want to be that guy.
And I don't want you to be that guy.
And more importantly than what I want,
Jesus don't want you to be that guy.
The atmosphere that Jesus walked into
was one that culturally had a horseshoe set of tables
with about three at each table.
Sound like a good old Baptist function, don't it?
But that's typically the setting.
And the center of each table
set the guest of honor at that table.
And the closer the table to the center,
the closer, I mean, the higher up you were.
So, I mean, we're talking about, you know,
making sure you sit at the right table, you know.
I mean, making sure you don't mess up.
The further from the head table, the lower the place.
And the host would sit in the lowest place.
Part of hosting, get this,
part of hosting is to be at service to others.
And when Jesus witnessed this scurry
to find the best seats and to sit in the best spot,
there was such an effort led
that some people were embarrassed
because they messed up.
They sat too high up.
And, you know, and the whole time,
it's like a middle school kickball game, you know.
I mean, they're picking who sits where, you know.
And, oh man, they didn't pick me, you know.
Well, nobody's left.
You sit at the last one, you know.
It's one of those kind of situations.
And Jesus is watching all of this take place.
What a blessing it is to see somebody
walk in such a room as that
and not be wrapped up in any of that.
I like the way G. Campbell Morgan put his old-time commentator.
He said,
Those who are willing to play second fiddle
make beautiful music indeed in the symphony of life.
You don't have to be the main thing.
Let me let you in on something.
You ain't.
And nor am I.
It's not about us.
It's really not.
And to take the seat of honor
is not only to elevate yourself,
but you are devaluing everyone else in the room.
And when you upgrade yourself,
you actually downgrade.
But if you degrade,
and you also degrade everyone else.
And we need to keep that idea in the kingdom of God.
Jesus didn't stop there there.
He went on.
And it says in verse 12,
He said also to the man who had invited him,
When you give a dinner or banquet,
don't 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 the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and you'll be blessed
because they can't repay you.
For you'll be repaid
at the resurrection of the just.
The second rule of partying like Jesus
is invite others.
Invite others.
Let me first tell you what Jesus is not saying.
I want to be clear about this.
He's not saying that there's a problem
with eating a meal with your friends.
That's not what he's saying.
That's fellowship.
Fellowship.
And fellowship is sweet.
And Jesus did that very thing.
Mary and Martha and Lazarus invited him over
and he ate a meal with them.
And the whole neighborhood wasn't there with them.
They ate a meal together.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
You can just invite the preacher
as long as you cook good.
That's all you have to do.
However, what he wanted this Pharisee to know
that was eating with friends at a dinner party
is this.
That's not ministry.
Labor Day Sunday was a great day
in the life of this church.
It was a great day.
I mean, I don't know what y'all used to,
but I had a good time.
That was the way I liked to party, you know.
Because you cooked your best,
fixed your best, did whatever,
and fixed a bunch of it.
I mean, I do work the room usually
while people are lined up.
And I will sneak and get those little
chocolate oatmeal things
because you can do that without making a mess.
And there was an eclair I grabbed a bowl for.
But typically, I kind of work the room
and go through that line almost last.
It's not trying to be,
I just want that time with the family.
And usually when I go through potluck lines,
there ain't nothing left, you know.
I mean, it's somebody who rushed out that morning,
got something stove-bought, you know.
It's almost a sin against God.
But anyway, but, you know,
I mean, I'm eating cupcakes,
I've been sitting at the grocery store for a week,
you know, and whatever that potato salad is
that don't have no taters in it, you know.
I mean, it's that kind of stuff.
And whatever the meat that the church provides,
you know, that's what I eat.
But that meal was not like that at all.
I mean, somebody took all the fried okra.
And I'd like to know who.
We're setting up new cameras and stuff like that
to fix all that.
But there was bunches and bunches of food.
I mean, when you thought you were done,
you got to the elbow of the table, you know.
And then you went, whoa, I done filled up my plate, you know.
There were profane things said at the corner.
It's interesting how that happened, you know.
Because people were going, man, I want that.
And yet I've hogged myself so much
that I ain't got room for it, you know.
It's a great fellowship.
It was not ministry.
Nothing wrong with a fellowship meal.
But eating fine food with all your friends ain't ministry.
It's just fun.
It's just an opportunity to fellowship together.
Ministry is when you invited somebody to come to that dinner.
Want them to be a part of that.
They don't have to bring anything.
They can just come on and be a part of that.
It's not ministry to have supper with your friends.
It's ministry to do something for someone else
that they can't do for you.
That's what ministry is.
Invite people that won't invite you back.
That's when you impact lives.
David's best friend was a man named Jonathan.
King David, his best friend was a man named Jonathan.
And Jonathan was the son of Saul who David succeeded.
But Saul was a nemesis to David.
I mean, David could play the harp.
And he'd come in and play the harp.
And Saul was soothed by that until he wasn't.
And then Saul would chunk a spear at him
while he was playing, you know.
I mean, that's not a good gig for a harp player.
Saul was like that.
David spent much of his life running from Saul
because Saul tried to kill him.
And when David had the opportunity to kill him in a cave,
he didn't do it.
He cut off a corner of his robe
just to show that he gave evidence
that he had let him live.
But then he felt guilty because he had touched
who he called God's anointed
because he shouldn't even mess with his robe.
I mean, it was a fascinating situation.
And Saul would rage and try to kill him.
And in 2 Samuel chapter 9,
David wants to honor his friend Jonathan's memory.
Jonathan's been killed.
And he wants to honor Jonathan's memory
by finding a relative of Saul
and giving him a place of honor.
And Mephibosheth was mentioned to him.
Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan
and was only five years old
when his daddy was killed in battle.
And when Jonathan was killed,
a nurse that cared for Mephibosheth
was afraid that after they had killed Jonathan,
they would come after his family.
And they would come after his child.
And so she ran to get away from the child.
And in the running, she fell and she dropped the child.
And that accident from falling crippled Mephibosheth.
So when David called
for a living relative of Saul to come
so he could honor him,
a living relative of Jonathan so he could honor him.
So when David called,
he brought a handicapped grandson of his arch enemy
to his own dining room table
and gave Mephibosheth the family property
that had previously been Saul's.
And when David called Mephibosheth,
Mephibosheth didn't feel worthy of that.
And he knelt before David and said,
what is your servant that you should show regard
for a dead dog such as I?
Mephibosheth was humbled
by just being recognized by the king,
just by being honored by the king.
He could, because Mephibosheth could do nothing for the king.
And typically because of his physical condition,
would never have been invited to such a setting
because of the cultural aspects of that day.
He had nothing to offer,
yet here he is sitting at the king's table.
That, my friend,
that's what Jesus is talking about.
Jesus is talking about inviting others.
Serve those that cannot serve you.
Be a part of a caring ministry.
And we have those types of ministries.
We have those type opportunities from time to time.
And those times will become more often in the future
because we're looking for opportunities
to minister to our community like that.
And as God moves in us, just watch.
Watch.
Ask God to open a door for us
to minister our community.
You'll watch.
We will.
And as he meets our needs,
we'll want to reach others.
Whether that be backpacks
that we gave out before school started.
Or whether that's the Samaritan's Purse
Christmas boxes
that we collect supplies for every month of the year
so that when Christmas rolls around,
actually before Christmas
because they want to get up to them for Christmas,
we can fill those shoeboxes
and send those out.
And I will tell you,
I followed the story of those shoeboxes.
Those kids get the gospel with those shoeboxes.
Not in any kind of manipulative fashion,
in a good old gospel way.
And when they want to know more about Christ,
they're sent through a discipleship program
to teach them of what it means.
They don't have to go through that to get the box.
But with that box comes the story of Jesus
and the invitation and the opportunity.
That's what Jesus does.
And we're to be like Jesus.
And every time we have a meal together,
we get the best of both worlds.
By the way,
that's why we have meals together, okay?
I mean, it helps that people can cook good.
But the reason we have meals together
is so we have a chance to fellowship with friends
and we have a chance to make new friends.
That's what it's about.
So think of someone to invite.
Invite them.
And then when you invite them,
meet them here.
Jesus challenges us to do that.
But it does not stop there.
He don't stop there.
It says in verse 15,
it says,
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.
But he said to them,
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 make excuses.
The first said to him,
I bought a field
and I must go out and see it.
Please have me excused.
And another said,
I bought five yoke of oxen
and I go to examine them.
Please have me excused.
And another said,
I've married a wife
and therefore I can't come.
Wow, there's a message there.
So the servant came
and reported these things to his master.
Then the master of the house
became angry and said to his servant,
go out quickly to the streets
and lanes of the city
and bring in the poor
and crippled and blind and lame.
And the servant said,
sir, what you commanded has been done
and there still is room.
And the master said to the servant,
go out to the highways and hedges
and compel people.
Compel them.
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.
Third rule
to party like Jesus
is don't make excuses.
Don't make excuses.
When the Lord invites you
to get in on something,
please don't make excuses.
Because these people
had initially said they'd go.
I mean, when they got
the Facebook invitation,
they checked, I'm going.
And then they didn't show up.
When the time came,
they backed out.
They let other matters
come in the way.
Sometimes our business
gets in the way.
Isn't it amazing
how you always have time
for what's most important to you?
But when something comes up
for the Lord,
sometimes it's hard
to find the time.
The first excuse,
these are interesting excuses,
the first excuse
is that it gives,
the man buys a field
that he's not seen.
He bought it online.
online.
Some of y'all want me
to tell the truth.
Okay, they didn't have
online sales then, okay?
Just in case you didn't.
Somebody will call me out,
you know.
Is there a reason why
looking at the field
that he's already bought
could not wait
until after the banquet?
He was putting off
what the man
who invited him wanted.
You've been invited.
Don't put off
what God wants.
The next one
bought oxen
sight unseen.
Listen,
don't look a gift horse
and a mouse,
but if you're paying for it,
you better take a peek
at it, you know.
I bought a car
one time
sight unseen.
We were looking
to replace our vehicle
and we,
I was,
I was out of town.
I was at a meeting
and I took a lunch
and after lunch
I stopped by a dealership
and did not see
what I was looking for
and the guy said,
that's not a problem at all.
We own a thousand lots
across the country.
I can find whatever you want
and so I said,
well, I'll tell you
what I want
and I called my wife
to find out what I wanted
and then
I gave him the description
is a used vehicle
and it had this
and this
and he said,
I found it
and we'll have it in,
I don't remember,
five days.
I was 160 miles
from home
and so I went back
to my meeting
and I went on home
and I mean,
we did the contract
and the whole bit.
I said,
what if I don't like it?
I mean,
what if it gets
and I said,
well,
if you just don't like it,
then,
I mean,
you're stuck
but if there's a problem
with it,
if it's not what we said
it was,
then,
you know,
you don't have to buy it.
Okay, good.
So I went home
and they called me
and we rode
160 miles
to go get this car
and I got in the car
and we rode across
the parking,
the guy was driving,
excuse me,
the guy was driving.
We drove across the parking lot,
got in the road
and the pandemic roof
started vibrating
and I know it's a panoramic
but it started making
all kinds of racket
and I knew it wasn't
going to cut it
and I was just saying,
Lord,
don't let her hear it.
It didn't cut it
so I said,
dude,
this ain't going to work.
I said,
it wasn't supposed
to be in this condition.
Oh,
no,
it's not a problem,
not a problem.
So he turned around
and went back.
They took it back
in the shop.
Okay,
I'm not a guy
who could buy a car
and sit in the booth
and wait on them.
Okay,
I sold cars one summer.
I asked God
for forgiveness
and
and so I know
the strategies
that go with that
and I don't,
I don't sit there.
I don't like it
and so I went
looking for my vehicle
that I done bought.
Sight unseen,
guaranteed
and I walked back
in the shop
and they are
wiping some type
of silicone
on
the gears
of that
of that sunroof
to try to get it
to be quiet,
you know
and I heard
one of them say,
well,
I don't think
she's that worried
about it.
I walked up behind
them.
They didn't know
I was standing there.
That's the kind
of guy I am.
I walked up
behind them
and he said,
I don't think
she's that worried
about it.
So I walked back in.
She's sitting
in the lobby
and I said,
they don't think
you're worried
about it.
That changed
the whole atmosphere.
I promise you
and so we got
the car back
and took it
in the parking lot
from here
to the front door
and turned it around
and I said,
I want you to shred
every document
that I signed
the other day
because you didn't
do what you said
you did.
You said you'd
have it clean.
There's a coffee
stain on the back
seat that could
be wiped.
I can lick it
off if I wanted
to.
I said,
but you didn't
do what you said
you were doing.
You sold me
a bad bag of goods.
I don't care
how many car lots
you want.
I don't want
nothing to do
with you.
They said,
we'd love to
fill up your tank
and we're sorry.
They shredded
everything.
We'd love to
fill up your tank.
We're sorry.
I don't want
your gas.
It might have
water in it.
I'll be fine.
We drove home
and bought
another car.
I don't buy
them unseen
no more
because it
didn't work.
This man
bought something
unseen,
but that's
what this man
did and
that made
a great
excuse
not to be
a part
of a banquet
that he
was invited
to.
Now,
let's be
honest.
He didn't
want to go.
He didn't
want to go
and we miss
out on what
the Lord
wants us
to do so
very often
to be honest
because we
don't want
to go.
We don't
want to do
it.
And I'm
just telling
you when
God gives
it to you,
it is not
simply an
invitation.
It's a
commission.
He's charged
you to
share, to
compel the
world to
come to
Christ.
He said
it.
He don't
offer
suggestions.
And we
miss out
on so
much
because we're
so busy.
The next
one said
I'm married
and I
can't go.
And there's
a lot I
could say
about that
but there's
a sermon
on marriage
that I don't
want to touch
because I've
spent a week
moving into
a new house
and spent
the last
night,
last night
we spent
the first
night in
that house
and we
don't camp
but that
must be
what camping
is like.
Where do
we put
that?
Where is
that?
I will
say this.
Spouses
never get
in the way
of your
spouse
serving
the Lord.
Don't
do it.
I am
thankful
that God
gave me
a wife
that knows
that need
calls at
any time
and we've
been rerouted
on occasion
and I've
never heard
a complaint.
Don't
let your
spouses
legitimately
say
I can't
serve this
way
because of
my husband
or because
of my
wife
because in
God's
kingdom
we shouldn't
have any
excuses.
so
let's
get on
and party
like
Jesus.
Don't
do a
party
don't do
a party
what he
wouldn't
do
and that
may be a
whole other
sermon too
and don't
go to a
party where
he wouldn't
be welcome
you've got a
testimony
you've got a
reputation
and a
responsibility
and if
you're a
child of
God you
have a
responsibility
to win
the world
of Christ
you don't
have to look
like him
to win
him to
Christ
and if
you look
too much
like him
you will
not be
saw
you will
not be
light
hear me
church
don't go
to a
party
where
Christ
ain't
welcome
if he
walked
in
would
you
be
embarrassed
don't
do
things
at a
party
that
would
dishonor
him
instead
party
like
he
does
enter
humbly
invite
others
to join
you
and
quit
making
excuses
because
if
Jesus
is
your
Lord
and
Savior
we
got
a lot
to
celebrate
and
I
think
as
long
as
God
gives
us
breath
we
ought
to
stay
after
it
and
party
like
Jesus
with
every
head
bowed
and
every
eye
closed
if
you're
here
this
morning
and
you
don't
know
the
Lord
Jesus
personally
there's
never
been
a
time
in
your
life
when
you've
surrendered
your
life
to
Christ
and
ask
him
to
cleanse
you
and
to
change
you
and
to
renew
you
I
want
you
to
know
that
today
we
extend
that
invitation
we
don't
do
it
on
our
own
today
is
the
day
of
salvation
and
Jesus
is
the
same
yesterday
today
and
forever
he's
always
there
ready
and
willing
he'll
lead
you
and
when
you
respond
he'll
save
you
we'll
stand
in
just
a
moment
and
we'll
sing
but
more
important
than
that
is
that
you
follow
what
God
would
tell
you
to
do
anything
step
in
the
way
maybe
you're
here
and
you
know
you've
done
that
but
you've
never
acknowledged
that
publicly
salvation
to you
is a
private
matter
the
reality
is
Jesus
shows
us
and
proclaims
that we
are to
let others
know
what
Christ
has
done
in
us
maybe
you
want
to
join
this
church
today
and
let
people
know
that
you're
a
child
of
God
and
come
by
baptism
we'd
love
to
guide
you
through
that
process
if
you
have
questions
along
the
way
we'll
answer
them
we'll
guide
you
there
maybe
God's
drawing
you
to
this
congregation
you
know
that
God
would
have
you
to
be
a
part
of
this
congregation
we
invite
you
to
come
if
there's
questions
along
the
way
we'll
deal
with
that
you
just
obey
God
and
do
what
God
would
have
you
do
maybe
you're
here
this
morning
you just
need
to get
some
things
right
and you
can do
that
where
you
sit
and
where
you'll
stand
in a few
moments
or you
can do
it at
this
altar
you can
do it
with a
pastor
praying
for you
makes
no
difference
to me
my
burden
is
that
you
do
exactly
what
God
tells
you
to
do
I
had
somebody
last
week
tell
me
God
told
me
to
do
this
during
the
invitation
and
I
just
didn't
do
it
don't
let
that
be
your
story
when
Christ
invites
you
respond
no
more
excuses
heavenly
father
I
love
you
and
I
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
that
you
give
us
to
be
together
today
God
will
you
give
us
the
strength
and
the
boldness
and
the
obedience
and
the
fortitude
to
do
exactly
what
you
tell
us
to
do
nothing
more
nothing
less
right
now
oh
God
I
pray
in
Jesus
name
Amen
you